MedWorm: Pneomococcal Vaccine

Immunogenicity and Tolerability of Recombinant Serogroup B Meningococcal Vaccine Administered With or Without Routine Infant Vaccinations According to Different Immunization Schedules: A Randomized Controlled Trial [Original Contribution]

JAMA — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion A 4CMenB vaccine is immunogenic against reference strains when administered with routine vaccines at 2, 4, and 6 or at 2, 3, and 4 months of age, producing minimal interference with the response to routine infant vaccinations. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00721396 (Source: JAMA)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Genomic screening for Chlamydophila pneumoniae‐specific antigens using serum samples from patients with primary infection

FEMS Microbiology Letters — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractChlamydophila pneumoniae, an obligate intracellular human pathogen, causes respiratory tract infections. The most common techniques used for the serological diagnosis of C. pneumoniae infections are microimmunofluorescence tests and commercial serological ELISA tests; these are based on the detection of antibodies against whole chlamydial elementary bodies and lipopolysaccharide/outer membrane protein, respectively. Identification of more specific and highly immunodominant antigens is essential for the development of new serodiagnostic assays. To identify novel specific antigens from C. pneumoniae, we screened 455 genes with unknown function in the genome of C. pneumoniae J138. Extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells expressing GFP‐tagged C. pneumoniae proteins were subjected ...

Cost-effectiveness of introducing the 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine into the universal immunisation of infants in Brazil

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion The PCV10 universal infant immunisation programme is a cost-effective intervention (1–3 GDP per capita/DALY avoided). Owing to the uncertain burden of disease data, as well as unclear long-term vaccine effects, surveillance systems to monitor the long-term effects of this programme will be essential. (Source: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health)

Carriage of encapsulated bacteria in Gabonese children with sickle cell anemia

Clinical Microbiology and Infection — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

In conclusion, carriage and resistance rates are similar in children with and without SCA. Our data provide the basis to guide empiric therapy of invasive diseases caused by S. pneumoniae, S. aureus and H. influenza in children in Gabon. (Source: Clinical Microbiology and Infection)

Controversial Amendments Injected Into Florida Vaccine BillControversial Amendments Injected Into Florida Vaccine Bill

Medscape Today Headlines — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:18:54 +0100

Pharmacists descended on the state capitol Wednesday to support a bill sponsored by state Rep. Ana Rivas Logan, R-Miami, which would allow them to give shingles and pneumonia vaccines to seniors. Kaiser Health News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Improving the Quality of Immunization Delivery to an At-Risk Population: A Comprehensive Approach

PEDIATRICS — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: We were able to implement a comprehensive immunization QI program that was sustainable over time. (Source: PEDIATRICS)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

[National Survey of Vaccination Coverage (Influenza, pneumococcus and tetanus) in Mexican population of 60 years of age and older].

Salud Publica de Mexico — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Important improvements are shown in vaccination coverage among elderly in Mexico. Differentials suggest the need to intensify information campaigns and actions that could improve the accessibility to vaccines for this population. PMID: 22286827 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Salud Publica de Mexico)

Prevnar 13 Should Be Watched for Febrile Seizure RiskPrevnar 13 Should Be Watched for Febrile Seizure Risk

Medscape Today Headlines — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:14:41 +0100

The panel concurs with the Food and Drug Administration that the pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine should continue routine monitoring, including for febrile seizure risk. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

PREVNAR 13 (Pneumococcal 13-Valent Conjugate Vaccine) Injection, Suspension [Wyeth Pharmaceutical Division Of Wyeth Holdings Corporation, A Subsidiary Of Pfizer Inc.]

DailyMed Drug Label Updates for the last seven days (since May 20, 2007 EST) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Updated Date: Jan 31, 2012 EST (Source: DailyMed Drug Label Updates for the last seven days (since May 20, 2007 EST))

How Bacteria Behind Serious Childhood Disease Evolve To Evade Vaccines

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Genetics has provided surprising insights into why vaccines used in both the UK and US to combat serious childhood infections can eventually fail. The study, published in Nature Genetics, which investigates how bacteria change their disguise to evade the vaccines, has implications for how future vaccines can be made more effective. Pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae) causes potentially life-threatening diseases including pneumonia and meningitis... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Prospective epidemiologic surveillance of invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia in children in San José, Costa Rica.

Vaccine — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: There is a considerable burden of IPD and pneumonia in children in San José. These epidemiologic data serve as a baseline to evaluate the effectiveness of the incorporation of new conjugate pneumococcal vaccines into the National Immunization Program in Costa Rican children. PMID: 22300725 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Vaccine)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Is the pneumococcal vaccine Advance Market Commitment motivating innovation and increasing manufacturing capacity? Some preliminary answers.

Vaccine — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Plahte J Abstract This paper seeks to give some preliminary evidence on the potential outcome of the pneumococcal vaccine Advance Market Commitment (AMC), with a focus on its impact on innovation in 'emerging' vaccine manufacturers in developing countries. The evidence is derived from a series of interviews with executives at industrial vaccine developing organizations with pneumococcal vaccines in their R&D portfolio, including both multinational pharmaceutical companies and 'emerging' manufacturers. The main findings are that so far there is no evidence to support any claim that the AMC is speeding innovation of pneumococcal vaccines, or that it is contributing to productive capacity expansion. Representatives of emerging manufacturers consistently state that the AMC...

Recent advances in pneumococcal peptidoglycan biosynthesis suggest new vaccine and antimicrobial targets.

Current Opinion in Microbiology — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Sham LT, Tsui HC, Land AD, Barendt SM, Winkler ME Abstract Streptococcus pneumoniae is a serious human respiratory pathogen that has the capacity to evade capsule-based vaccines and to develop multidrug antibiotic resistance. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the mechanisms and regulation of peptidoglycan (PG) biosynthesis that result in ellipsoid-shaped, ovococcus Streptococcus cells. New results support a two-state model for septal and peripheral PG synthesis at mid-cell, involvement of essential cell division proteins in PG remodeling, and mid-cell localization of proteins that organize PG biosynthesis and that form the protein translocation apparatus. PG biosynthesis proteins have already turned up as promising vaccine candidates and targets of an...

Measurement of antibodies to pneumococcal, meningococcal and haemophilus polysaccharides, and tetanus and diphtheria toxoids using a 19-plexed assay.

Journal of Immunological Methods — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Whitelegg AM, Birtwistle J, Richter A, Campbell JP, Turner JE, Ahmed TM, Giles LJ, Fellows M, Plant T, Ferraro AJ, Cobbold M, Drayson MT, Maclennan CA Abstract The measurement of antibody responses to vaccination is useful in the assessment of immune status in suspected immune deficiency. Previous reliance on enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assays (ELISA) has been cumbersome, time-consuming and expensive. The availability of flow cytometry systems has led to the development of multiplexed assays enabling simultaneous measurement of antibodies to several antigens. We optimized a flow cytometric bead-based assay to measure IgG and IgM concentrations in serum to 19 antigens contained in groups of bacterial subunit vaccines: pneumococcal vaccines, meningococcal vaccines, Haemoph...

Pneumococcal disease in South Australia: Vaccine success but no time for complacency.

Vaccine — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: There has been a large direct and sustained benefit from the universal 7vPCV program in children, particularly those aged <2 years, with some evidence for serotype replacement. There is also good evidence that the childhood program has provided indirect benefits to adults aged ≥65 years, although serotype replacement has reduced the initial benefits. PMID: 22273663 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Vaccine)

Geographic Information System and tools of spatial analysis in a pneumococcal vaccine trial

BioMed Central — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The collection of geographic locations in intervention trials should become a routine task. The results of public health research may highly depend on spatial relationships among the study subjects and between the study subjects and the environment, both natural and infrastructural.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN62323832 (Source: BioMed Central)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Cost-effectiveness of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines of 7, 10, and 13 valences in Colombian children.

Vaccine — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: Routine vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae in Colombia would be cost-effective with PCV-10, with ICER below the per-capita GDP, but its inclusion requires evaluating the budget impact. PCV-13 would prevent more disease and deaths with a higher LYG, but PCV-10 would save more cost to the healthcare system due its higher impact in the prevention of AOM. There is limitation in the clinical evidence of both strategies. PMID: 22266291 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Vaccine)

Co-administration of attenuated Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae 168 strain with bacterial DNA enhances the local and systemic immune response after intranasal vaccination in pigs.

Vaccine — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Li Y, Li P, Wang X, Yu Q, Yang Q Abstract Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, the primary pathogen of enzootic pneumonia, occurs worldwide and causes major economic losses to the pig industry. M. hyopneumoniae infects pigs at mucosal surfaces of respiratory tract. The aim of the present study was to investigate if the protection rate against M. hyopneumoniae infection following intranasal immunization with attenuated M. hyopneumoniae 168 strain is improved by administration of bacterial DNA containing CpG motifs. Thirty pigs were immunized intranasally or intramuscularly and the levels of local respiratory tract and systemic immune responses were detected. The results showed that the number of intraepithelial lymphocytes in the tracheal fork, the levels of cytokine IL-6, and M. hyop...

Monitoring The Impact Of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccination In The Gambia

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Grant MacKenzie of the MRC Unit in The Gambia and colleagues describe in this week's PLoS Medicine how they set up a population-based surveillance system to assess the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) on invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and radiological pneumonia in children in The Gambia. The surveillance system is expected to inform immunisation policy and serves as a potential model for those introducing routine PCV vaccination in diverse settings... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Dominance of multidrug resistant CC271 clones in macrolide-resistant streptococcus pneumoniae in Arizona

BMC Microbiology - Latest articles — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The dual-positive, multidrug-resistant S. pneumoniae clones have likely expanded by switching to non-vaccine serotypes after the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine release, and their success limits therapy options. This upsurge could have a considerable clinical impact in Arizona. (Source: BMC Microbiology - Latest articles)

[Assessment of primary care physicians' adherence to the national childhood vaccination schedule.]

Archives de Pediatrie — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: The level of physicians' knowledge about the vaccination schedule in children was insufficient in northern France, especially for pertussis and measles. This can decrease vaccination coverage levels as well as its beneficial effects for children. PMID: 22264997 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Archives de Pediatrie)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Pneumococcal vaccine: Anaphylaxis in a child: case report

Reactions — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:08:18 +0100

(Source: Reactions)

Unencumbered by facts: what upsets me most about the anti-vaccine movement

Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:30:11 +0100

Recently I watched a clip of Andrew Wakefield being interviewed on Good Morning America, and it gave me the chills. Andrew Wakefield, if you haven’t heard of him, is the guy who pretty much singlehandedly scared thousands of parents away from the MMR vaccine with a study he published in the Lancet linking the vaccine with autism. The study has since been retracted, something journals almost never do, after it was discovered that data in it was falsified. Not only that, Wakefield lost his medical license. But is he backing down? No way. On the contrary: he is suing the British Medical Journal (from Texas) for defamation. And he is still defending his findings. It was stunning to watch. George Stephanopoulos, who was interviewing him, pointed out that his colleagues who worked with him h...

Monitoring the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination in The Gambia

EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Public Library of Science) Grant MacKenzie of the MRC Unit in the Gambia and colleagues describe in this week's PLoS Medicine how they set up a population-based surveillance system to assess the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on invasive pneumococcal disease and radiological pneumonia in children in the Gambia. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)

Monitoring the Introduction of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines into West Africa: Design and Implementation of a Population-Based Surveillance System

PLoS Medicine — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

by Grant A. Mackenzie, Ian D. Plumb, Sana Sambou, Debasish Saha, Uchendu Uchendu, Bolanle Akinsola, Usman N. Ikumapayi, Ignatius Baldeh, Effua Usuf, Kebba Touray, Momodou Jasseh, Stephen R. C. Howie, Andre Wattiaux, Ellen Lee, Maria Deloria Knoll, Orin S. Levine, Brian M. Greenwood, Richard A. Adegbola, Philip C. Hill (Source: PLoS Medicine)

Using Sybil for interactive comparative genomics of microbes on the web

Bioinformatics — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

We describe a new version of the Sybil software package and its application to the important human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. This new software provides a feature-rich set of comparative genomics tools for inspection of multiple genome structures, mining of orthologous gene families and identification of potential vaccine candidates. Availability: The S.pneumoniae resource is online at http://strepneumo-sybil.igs.umaryland.edu. The software, database and website are available for download as a portable virtual machine and from http://sourceforge.net/projects/sybil. Contact: driley@som.umaryland.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. (Source: Bioinformatics)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Pfizer and GSK extend pneumonia vaccine agreements with GAVI

PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes News — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:11:42 +0100

(Source: PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes News)

Pseudoseptic arthritis of the shoulder following pneumococcal vaccination.

Orthopedics — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:24:05 +0100

Authors: Floyd MW, Boyce BM, Castellan RM, McDonough EB Abstract Pseudoseptic arthritis is primarily described in rheumatoid arthritis and other systemic inflammatory conditions. To our knowledge, only 1 case report of pseudoseptic arthritis associated with intra-articular injection of a pneumococcal polyvalent vaccine (PPV) has been published. Here, a second case is presented in which a patient presented with swelling, pain, and erythema of the affected shoulder.A 59-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with a 3-day history of severe pain and decreased mobility of her left shoulder after receiving a PPV vaccination. Her clinical and laboratory workup was suspicious for septic arthritis; however, magnetic resonance imaging of the affected shoulder with and without c...

Nasopharyngeal carriage rate of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Ugandan children with Sickle Cell Disease

BMC Research Notes — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Nasopharyngeal carriage of penicillin resistant pneumococci in Ugandan children with homozygous sickle cell disease is high. While nasopharyngeal carriage of S. pneumoniae is a determinant for invasive pneumococcal disease, pneumococcal bacteremia is reportedly low in Ugandan children with sickle cell disease. Studies on the contribution of high carriage rates to invasive pneumococcal disease in these children will be helpful. This is the first report on pneumococcal carriage rate in Ugandan children with sickle cell disease. (Source: BMC Research Notes)

Immunogenicity and safety of LBVH0101, a new Haemophilus influenzae type b tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine, compared with Hiberix™ in Korean infants and children: A randomized trial.

Vaccine — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: LBVH0101 showed a good immunogenicity and safety profile in infants and children. The two-dose infant-priming schedule with a booster dose may suffice for Hib immunization in Korean infants (Clinical trial registration numbers: NCT01019772 and NCT01251133). PMID: 22245607 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Vaccine)

Lenalidomide-Induced Immunomodulation in Multiple Myeloma: Impact on Vaccines and Antitumor Responses.

Clinical Cancer Research — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: This is the first clinical evidence demonstrating that lenalidomide augments vaccine responses and endogenous antitumor immunity in patients and as such may serve as an adjuvant for cancer and possibly infectious vaccines. PMID: 22241792 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Clinical Cancer Research)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

GSK responds to Argentinian court ruling over controversial vaccine trials

Pharmaceutical Technology — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0100

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will appeal to the Supreme Court of Argentina against a ruling issued by Judge Marcelo Aguinsky over the inadequate handling of administrative conduct during the firm's Clinical Otitis Media and Pneumonia study in 2007-08. (Source: Pharmaceutical Technology)

Hepatitis B in the United States: ongoing missed opportunities for hepatitis B vaccination, evidence from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, 2007

Infection — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:53:02 +0100

Conclusions The findings of this study underscore the inadequacy of vaccination coverage in high-risk adults and highlight advantageous opportunities to bridge gaps in vaccination coverage. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Clinical and Epidemiological StudyPages 1-9DOI 10.1007/s15010-011-0241-2Authors F. Ladak, Program in Public Health, Division of Biomedicine, Brown University, 121 South Main Street, Box G, Providence, RI 02903, USAA. Gjelsvik, Program in Public Health, Center for Population Health and Clinical Epidemiology, Brown University, 121 South Main St. S121-2, Providence, RI 02912, USAE. Feller, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Box G-S121, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02912, USAS. Rosenthal, Division of Biomedicine, Brown Univers...

A comparison of immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclass concentrations in severe community-acquired pneumonia and severe Pandemic 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) infection.

Clinical and Vaccine Immunology — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Gordon CL, Holmes NE, Grayson ML, Torresi J, Johnson PD, Cheng AC, Charles PG Abstract We compared immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclasses in patients with severe non-influenza community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) to those with severe Pandemic 2009 influenza (H1N1) infection. Low IgG(1) and IgG(2) occurred often in the CAP group; however, H1N1 patients had lower IgG(1) and IgG(2) (5.4 vs. 3.3g/L, p=0.008; 2.5 vs. 1.2g/L, p<0.001, respectively). Low IgG(2) may be specifically linked to severe H1N1, however, it is not clear whether this association is related to H1N1 or to other features of severity. PMID: 22237894 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Clinical and Vaccine Immunology)

Post-vaccination increase of serotype 19A pneumococcal disease in Norway is driven by expansion of penicillin-susceptible strains of the ST199 complex.

Clinical and Vaccine Immunology — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Vestrheim DF, Steinbakk M, Aaberge IS, Caugant DA Abstract Serotype replacement in invasive pneumococcal disease has been observed after wide-spread use of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7). Replacement is dominated by penicillin non-susceptible serotype 19A in several countries. Antibiotic selection pressure has been proposed to interact with immunisation leading to a rapid replacement. In Norway, where prescription of antibiotics is limited, post-PCV7 replacement by serotype 19A is dominated by penicillin-susceptible clones. Hence, serotype 19A replacement occurs, although not driven by antibiotic selection pressure. PMID: 22237889 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Clinical and Vaccine Immunology)

GlaxoSmithKline fined over controversial vaccine trials on Argentine babies

Pharmaceutical Technology — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0100

GlaxoSmithKline has been fined by an Argentine court over the management of clinical trials of its pneumonia vaccine Synflorix, which allegedly killed 14 babies. (Source: Pharmaceutical Technology)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Changing trend of antimicrobial resistance and serotypes in Streptococcus pneumoniae in Asian countries: an ANSORP study.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Kim SH, Song JH, Chung DR, Thamlikitkul V, Yang Y, Wang H, Lu M, So TM, Hsueh PR, Yasin RM, Carlos CC, Pham HV, Lalitha MK, Shimono N, Perera J, Shibl AM, Baek JY, Kang CI, Ko KS, Peck KR, Abstract Antimicrobial resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae remains a serious concern worldwide, particularly in Asian countries, despite the introduction of heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7). The Asian Network for Surveillance of Resistant Pathogens (ANSORP) performed a prospective surveillance study of 2,184 S. pneumoniae isolates collected from patients with pneumococcal infections from 60 hospitals in 11 Asian countries from 2008 to 2009. Among non-meningeal isolates, prevalence rate of penicillin non-susceptible pneumococci (MIC ≥ 4 μg/ml) was 4.6% and penicill...

GlaxoSmithKline to Appeal Argentine Vaccine Fines

Drugs.com - Pharma News — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:21:41 +0100

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP)-GlaxoSmithKline said Tuesday it will appeal a fine in Argentina involving its development of a vaccine against pneumonia and earaches in small children. The world's second-largest drugmaker was fined $93,000 for protocol... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)

Effect of challenge of pigs previously immunised with inactivated vaccines containing homologous and heterologous Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae strains

BMC Veterinary Research - Latest articles — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: The bacterins did not induce a clear overall protection against challenge infection, and there were no significant differences in protective efficacy between bacterins containing homologous and heterologous M. hyopneumoniae strains. Further research is necessary to better characterize the antigens involved in protection and to elucidate the protective immunity responses following M. hyopneumoniae vaccination and/or infection. (Source: BMC Veterinary Research - Latest articles)

A genomics-based approach to assessment of vaccine safety and immunogenicity in children.

Vaccine — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: White OJ, McKenna KL, Bosco A, van den Biggelaar A, Richmond P, Holt PG Abstract Immune responses to vaccines in infants and young children are typically Th2-biased, giving rise to concerns regarding potential atopy-like side effects, and antagonism of Th1-associated sterilising immunity. Conventional immunological methodology has limited capacity to effectively address these problems because of the inherent complexity of the immune responses involved. In the present study, we sought to develop an unbiased systems biology approach to elucidate superficially similar Th2-associated responses to paediatric vaccines and allergens, and to differentiate between them via gene coexpression network analysis. We demonstrate below that in immune responses to the diptheria/acellular p...

FDA approves extended use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine as a single dose to adults 50 years and older

Drug Topics - Clinical News — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

FDA has approved Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine [Diphtheria CRM197 Protein] (Prevnar 13, Pfizer) as a single dose for use in adults aged 50 years and older. (Source: Drug Topics - Clinical News)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Pneumonia Vaccine Approved for Older People

MedicineNet Senior Health General — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:00:00 +0100

Title: Pneumonia Vaccine Approved for Older PeopleCategory: Health NewsCreated: 1/3/2012 6:06:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 1/4/2012 (Source: MedicineNet Senior Health General)

FDA approves extended use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine as a single dose to adults 50 years and older

Drug Topics - Top News — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

FDA has approved Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine [Diphtheria CRM197 Protein] (Prevnar 13, Pfizer) as a single dose for use in adults aged 50 years and older. (Source: Drug Topics - Top News)

New vaccine is nothing to sneeze at

Health Facts and Fears — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

A new option for staving off pneumococcal pneumonia — one of the biggest causes of death among older adults in the United States — has just been approved for use in Americans aged 50 and older. (Source: Health Facts and Fears)

[Relationship between precariousness, social coverage, and vaccine coverage: Survey among children consulting in pediatric emergency departments in France.]

Archives de Pediatrie — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: Poor children living in southern France had significant delays in their routine immunizations, resulting in gaps in their protection. Every medical visit, even those conducted in an emergency ward, should identify children with immunization delays and offer a catch-up schedule if necessary. PMID: 22226013 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Archives de Pediatrie)

Pneumonia Vaccine Approved for Older People

Pharmacy News - Doctors Lounge — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:03:00 +0100

Prevnar 13 shot sanctioned for people 50 and up (Source: Pharmacy News - Doctors Lounge)

FDA Okays Pneumococcal Vaccine for Older Adults FDA Okays Pneumococcal Vaccine for Older Adults

Medscape Today Headlines — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:30:07 +0100

The agency has expanded the indication for the pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine (Prevnar 13, Wyeth) to adults aged 50 years and older. FDA Approvals (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

FDA OKs Prevnar for Patients 50 and Older

MedPage Today Public Health — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:30:00 +0100

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- The FDA has expanded the indication for the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine Prevnar 13 to include patients 50 and older. (Source: MedPage Today Public Health)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

FDA Expands Use of Prevnar 13 Vaccine for People Ages 50 and Older

Drugs.com - New Drug Approvals — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:01:42 +0100

SILVER SPRING, Md., Dec. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Prevnar 13, a pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine, was approved today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for people ages 50 years and older to prevent pneumonia and invasive... (Source: Drugs.com - New Drug Approvals)

FDA Approves Pneumococcal 13 Vaccine

Drugs.com - Pharma News — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:01:59 +0100

From UPI Health News (Business) (December 31, 2011) Prevnar 13, a pneumococcal 13 vaccine, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for people age 50 and older to prevent pneumonia, officials said. Dr. Karen Midthun, director of... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)

Pfizer pneumonia vaccine receives FDA clearance

Drug Development Technology — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0100

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the extended use of Pfizer's pneumococcal conjugate vaccine- Prevnar 13 as a single-dose treatment for pneumonia in adults. (Source: Drug Development Technology)

FDA Greenlights Pneumonia Vaccine

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0100

The FDA has approved Prevnar 13, for use on people over 50. Prevnar 13 is a pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine, that can prevent pneumonia and disease caused by the bacterium, Streptococcus pneumoniae. The bacterium most commonly infects the lungs, (Pneumococcal pneumonia), causing congestion and a potentially fatal build up of fluid and mucus. However it can become more invasive entering the spinal fluid, and even the blood. Karen Midthun, M.D... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

FDA approves pneumococcal 13 vaccine

Health News - UPI.com — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:06:24 +0100

WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Prevnar 13, a pneumococcal 13 vaccine, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for people age 50 and older to prevent pneumonia, officials said. (Source: Health News - UPI.com)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

U.S. approves Prevnar pneumonia vaccine for adults

Reuters: Health — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:22:40 +0100

(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators approved the expansion of Pfizer Inc's blockbuster Prevnar vaccine for use in adults 50 and older to fight pneumonia, meningitis and other diseases cause by pneumococcus bacteria. (Source: Reuters: Health)

Pfizer Vaccine Wins Expanded Approval

WSJ.com: Health — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:21:47 +0100

Pfizer said its blockbuster pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar 13 won FDA approval for use in adults 50 years and older. (Source: WSJ.com: Health)

FDA clears Pfizer vaccine for adults over 50

USATODAY.com Health — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:16:25 +0100

The FDA has approved Pfizer's best-selling Prevnar 13 vaccine for use in preventing pneumococcal disease in adults age 50 and older. (Source: USATODAY.com Health)

FDA approves Pfizer's Prevnar pneumonia vaccine for adults

Reuters: Health — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:10:10 +0100

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

FDA expands use of Prevnar 13 vaccine for people ages 50 and older

Food and Drug Administration — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:22:00 +0100

Prevnar 13, a pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine, was approved today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for people ages 50 years and older to prevent pneumonia and invasive disease caused by the bacterium, Streptococcus pneumoniae. (Source: Food and Drug Administration)

Health Highlights: Dec. 30, 2011

Primary Care News - Doctors Lounge — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:49:00 +0100

FDA OKs Pneumonia Vaccine for Older Adults Durezol vs. Durasal: FDA Warns of Drug Name Mix-Up Los Angeles Voters to Decide on Condoms in Sex Films (Source: Primary Care News - Doctors Lounge)

Influenza‐like illness surveillance on the California‐Mexico border, 2004–2009

Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions The US‐Mexico border is one of the busiest in the world, with a large number of daily crossings. Due to its traffic, this area is an ideal location for surveillance sites. We identified a pathogen in 36% of the specimens tested, with influenza A the most common pathogen. A number of other viral and bacterial respiratory pathogens were identified. An understanding of the incidence of respiratory pathogens in border populations is useful for development of regional vaccination and disease prevention responses. (Source: Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses)

US approves Prevnar pneumonia vaccine for adults

Modern Medicine — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Modern Medicine)

Combat pneumococcal infections: adhesins as candidates for protein-based vaccine development.

Current Drug Targets — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Gámez G, Hammerschmidt S Abstract Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is an asymptomatic colonizer of the upper respiratory tract in humans. However, these apparently harmless bacteria have also a high virulence potential and are known as the etiologic agent of respiratory and life-threatening invasive diseases. Dissemination of pneumococci from the nasopharynx into the lungs or bloodstream leads to community-acquired pneumonia, septicaemia and meningitis. Traditionally, pneumococcal diseases are treated with antibiotics and prevented with polysaccharide-based vaccines. However, due to the dramatic increase in antibiotic resistance and limitations of the current available vaccines, the burden of diseases remains high. Thus, combating pneumococcal transmission and infe...

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Baseline Epidemiology of Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotypes in Canada Prior to the Introduction of the 13-Valent Pneumococcal Vaccine

Microbial Drug Resistance — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:07:49 +0100

Microbial Drug Resistance , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: Microbial Drug Resistance)

Serotyping and multilocus sequence typing of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from the blood and posterior nares of Japanese children prior to the introduction of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 15:27:37 +0100

Authors: Oishi T, Wada A, Chang B, Toyabe S, Uchiyama M Abstract In Japan, the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) was introduced in 2010. To assess the effects of PCV7 on invasive pneumococcal infection in children, a population-based prospective survey has been conducted in 10 prefectures. As a part of the study, blood and nasopharyngeal isolates from children admitted to the Shibata Hospital, Niigata Prefecture, were analyzed for determining the serotypes, their susceptibilities to antimicrobial agents, and multilocus sequence types. Sixteen blood isolates were obtained from October 2007 to December 2009. Sixty-three nasopharyngeal isolates were obtained from the posterior nares of 118 children with pneumonia from April to September 2008. The coverage rates of the blo...

Upstate vaccinates more than 450 against flu and pneumonia at Christmas Bureau registration clinics

SUNY Upstate Medical — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:59:15 +0100

Free vaccines are part of Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital study that hopes to reduce barriers to immunizations. (Source: SUNY Upstate Medical)

Drug-induced immune thrombocytopaenia: results from the Berlin Case–Control Surveillance Study

European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:46:52 +0100

Conclusions Our study confirms known ITP risks for glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists and sulphonamides and generates signals for several other drugs and vaccines. New onset of ITP should not only direct attention to drugs as possible aetiological agents, but also to vaccines that are known to cause autoimmune phenomena. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Pharmacoepidemiology and PrescriptionPages 1-12DOI 10.1007/s00228-011-1184-3Authors Edeltraut Garbe, Centre of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, GermanyFrank Andersohn, Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economy, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, GermanyElisabeth Bronder, Centre of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, C...

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine (13-valent, adsorbed) [prevenar 13®]†: profile report.

Paediatric Drugs — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:12:30 +0100

Authors: Duggan ST Abstract † Adapted and reproduced from the original article published in Drugs 2010; 70 (15): 1973-86. PMID: 22149553 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Paediatric Drugs)

Don't forget the 'pneumo' vaccine

The Irish Times - Health — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:07:23 +0100

THE BLUSTERY winter weather is currently serving as a reminder to the elderly and those with compromised immune systems to get their winter vaccinations. (Source: The Irish Times - Health)

Drugmakers extend cut-price pneumonia vaccine deal

Reuters: Health — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 23:18:08 +0100

LONDON (Reuters) - Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline are increasing sales of cut-price pneumonia vaccine to developing countries by more than 50 percent, marking the scale-up of an international program to protect millions of children. (Source: Reuters: Health)

Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine (13-Valent, Adsorbed) Prevenar 13: Profile Report

Pediatric Drugs — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:25:18 +0100

(Source: Pediatric Drugs)

Pfizer, Glaxo Expand Discount Vaccine Agreements

Drugs.com - Pharma News — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:42:53 +0100

From Associated Press (December 16, 2011) WASHINGTON -- Drug makers Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline announced Friday they have agreed to supply hundreds of millions of additional doses of pneumonia vaccine to an international partnership that provides... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

GSK extends pneumococcal vaccine agreement with GAVI Alliance

GSK news — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:10:27 +0100

GSK today announced it has expanded its agreement with the GAVI Alliance in a move to help protect millions more children in the world‟s poorest countries from pneumococcal disease. Pneumococcal disease can lead to pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis and is a leading cause of death in children under the age of five in developing countries. (Source: GSK news)

Excess mortality related to seasonal influenza and extreme temperatures in Denmark, 1994-2010

BMC Infectious Diseases — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: It is doable to model influenza-related mortality based on data on all-cause mortality and ILI, data that are easily obtainable in many countries and less subject to bias and subjective interpretation than cause-of-death data. Further work is needed to understand the variations in mortality observed across seasons and in particular the impact of vaccinationagainst influenza. (Source: BMC Infectious Diseases)

Drugmakers extend cut-price pneumonia vaccine deal

Modern Medicine — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

LONDON (Reuters) - Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline are increasing sales of cut-price pneumonia vaccine to developing countries by more than 50%, marking the scale-up of an international program to protect millions of children. (Source: Modern Medicine)

Vaccines: Enhancing glycan presentation increases vaccine efficacy

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 11, 21 (2012). doi:10.1038/nrd3637 Author: Monica Hoyos Flight Carrier proteins coupled to polysaccharides that are extracted from bacterial cell walls are used as vaccines to prevent many infectious diseases such as pneumonia and meningitis. These glycoconjugate vaccines elicit a T cell response that boosts the production of high-affinity antibodies against the polysaccharide by (Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)

Immunization schedule of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics: 2012 recommendations.

Anales de Pediatria — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Moreno-Pérez D, Alvarez García FJ, Aristegui Fernández J, Barrio Corrales F, Cilleruelo Ortega MJ, Corretger Rauet JM, González-Hachero J, Hernández-Sampelayo Matos T, Merino Moína M, Ortigosa Del Castillo L, Ruiz-Contreras J, Abstract The Advisory Committee on Vaccines of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (CAV-AEP) updates the immunization schedule every year, taking into account epidemiological data as well as evidence on the effectiveness and efficiency of vaccines. The present schedule includes grades of recommendation. We have graded as routine vaccinations those that the CAV-AEP believes all children should receive; as recommended those that fit the profile for universal childhood immunization and would ideally be given to all children, but that can be pri...

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Pharmacodynamic Effects of Steady-State Fingolimod on Antibody Response in Healthy Volunteers: A 4-Week, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group, Multiple-Dose Study.

The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Boulton C, Meiser K, David OJ, Schmouder R Abstract Fingolimod, a first-in-class oral sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor (S1PR) modulator, is approved in many countries for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, at a once-daily 0.5-mg dose. A reduction in peripheral lymphocyte count is an expected consequence of the fingolimod mechanism of S1PR modulation. The authors investigated if this pharmacodynamic effect impacts humoral and cellular immunogenicity. In this double-blind, parallel-group, 4-week study, 72 healthy volunteers were randomized to steady state, fingolimod 0.5 mg, 1.25 mg, or to placebo. The authors compared T-cell dependent and independent responses to the neoantigens, keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), and pneumococcal polysaccharides vaccine (PPV-23), respec...

Childhood immunisation with conjugate vaccines and prevention of pneumonia

Thorax — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Principi and Esposito1 describe that widespread use of Haemophilus influenzae b (Hib) and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) has nearly eliminated pneumonia due to the first pathogen and significantly reduced the number of cases due to the second pathogen. So, they advise a strong recommendation of these vaccines worldwide. However, the Indonesia probe-trial cited by them actually found more cases of pneumonia admitted to hospital among those vaccinated, and meningitis admissions were not reduced significantly either. The trial did not support a major role for Hib vaccine in overall pneumonia prevention programmes, but in view of high incidences of Hib meningitis and pneumonia found in the study, the authors mentioned that inclusion of Hib vaccine in routine immunisation programmes in A...

Authors' response

Thorax — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

We thank Dr Das for his letter1 regarding our paper on the management of severe community-acquired pneumonia in children.2 He questions our suggestion that both Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) conjugate and pneumococcal conjugate (PCV) vaccines could be given to Asian children living in developing countries on the grounds that the incidence of infections due to Hib and the pneumococcal serotypes included in PCV is low. He also states that there is no clear demonstration that either vaccine is effective, and the risk of replacement phenomena is a significant limitation. Regarding the burden of Hib infection, data show that Hib is significantly more important in Asia than previously thought mainly because a number of cases are not identified by the short-term administration of low-dose a...

[Immunization schedule of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics: 2012 recommendations.]

Anales de Pediatria — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Moreno-Pérez D, Alvarez García FJ, Arístegui Fernández J, Barrio Corrales F, Cilleruelo Ortega MJ, Corretger Rauet JM, González-Hachero J, Hernández-Sampelayo Matos T, Merino Moína M, Ortigosa Del Castillo L, Ruiz-Contreras J, Abstract The Advisory Committee on Vaccines of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (CAV-AEP) updates the immunization schedule every year, taking into account epidemiological data as well as evidence on the effectiveness and efficency of vaccines. The present schedule includes grades of recommendation. We have graded as routine vaccinations those that the CAV-AEP believes all children should receive; as recommended those that fit the profile for universal childhood immunization and would ideally be given to all children, but that can be pri...

Safety of Hepatitis B, Pneumococcal Polysaccharide and Meningococcal Polysaccharide Vaccines in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review

Drug Safety — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:05:59 +0100

(Source: Drug Safety)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Serotype-specific pneumococcal antibody concentrations in children treated for acute leukaemia

Archives of Disease in Childhood — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Children treated for acute leukaemia are at increased risk of infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae. The basis for this may include low levels of pneumococcal antibody but this has not been well studied. The authors measured serotype-specific pneumococcal IgG antibody concentrations in children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) ≥6 months after completion of standard-dose chemotherapy. Pneumococcal serotype-specific IgG antibody concentrations were low. None of the subjects had protective concentrations against all the heptavalent-pneumococcal conjugate vaccine serotypes. There was no significant difference in antibody concentrations between subjects with ALL and AML (p≥0.05). Children treated for ALL and AML generally have non-protect...

Invasive Pneumococcal Disease and 13-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV13) Coverage Among Children Aged

JAMA — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: JAMA)

Pneumococcal Disease and Vaccine in Children Aged

Medscape Today Headlines — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:00:00 +0100

What are the latest recommendations for immunizing very young children against pneumococcal infections? Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

MF59(®) Adjuvanted Seasonal and Pandemic Influenza Vaccines.

Yakugaku Zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:48:02 +0100

Authors: Tsai TF Abstract MF59-adjuvanted seasonal trivalent inactivated (ATIV) vaccine licensed since 1997 and MF59-adjuvanted pandemic H1N1 vaccines have been distributed to approximately 80M persons. Addition of the emulsion adjuvant to inactivated vaccine formulations provides for higher levels of antibody to the viral hemagglutinin (HA) in less responsive older adults, infants and children which, in the case of the pandemic vaccine, allowed only 3.75 µg of the HA to be immunogenic. The adjuvant also stimulates production of more broadly-reactive antibodies against strains that are mismatched to those in the vaccine, a potential advantage in the face of perennial influenza virus antigenic drift. In a field trial, ATIV was 89% efficacious in preventing laboratory-confirmed infl...

Concomitant MMRV, Prevnar Safe for Healthy InfantsConcomitant MMRV, Prevnar Safe for Healthy Infants

Medscape Pediatrics Headlines — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 03:52:35 +0100

Administering a child's first dose of the measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine together with the pneumococcal vaccine is "highly immunogenic and generally well tolerated." Reuters Health Information (Source: Medscape Pediatrics Headlines)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Recurrent bacterial meningitis by three different pathogens in an isolated asplenic child

Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:03:18 +0100

We describe a girl with ICA who developed recurrent meningitis by three different pathogens. The first, meningitis by Escherichia coli, occurred 4 days after premature birth. The other two pathogens were serotype 6B Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), at 18 and 25 months of age, respectively. The patient was successfully treated with prompt antimicrobial therapy in all episodes. Serum anti-polyribosylribitol phosphate (PRP) and anti-6B-type pneumococcal antibodies were below the levels for protective activity after natural infections. Although anti-PRP antibody was significantly increased after Hib vaccination, two (6B and 19F) of seven serotype-specific pneumococcal antibodies were not elevated to protective levels after the second 7-valent pn...

Immunotherapy of Lung Adenocarcinoma Patient with Peptide-Pulsed Dendritic Cells: a Case Report

Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:42:17 +0100

We described the effect of peptide-loaded DCs-based immunotherapy on patient with recurrent surgically resected adenocarcinoma with bronchoalveolar feature with co-existing of Takayasu arteritis and chronic hepatitis B. In January 2010, 61-year-old patient received subcutaneously four bi-weekly vaccinations of DCs loaded with MUC1 and MAGE-3 epitopes. Additionally, he received three bi-weekly booster vaccinations after 7 months from the first course of immunotherapy. Delayed-type hypersensitivity test was positive only for MAGE-3 antigen. The evidence expansion of MAGE-3-specific CD8+ cells after first vaccination and after third vaccination during boosters injections was observed (from 0.08% before vaccination to 0.5% after first vaccination; from 0.05% before booster vaccinatio...

Concomitant MMRV, Prevnar safe for healthy infants

Modern Medicine — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Administering a child's first dose of the measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine together with the pneumococcal vaccine is "highly immunogenic and generally well tolerated," a new study shows. (Source: Modern Medicine)

[Review] Serotype replacement in disease after pneumococcal vaccination

LANCET — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

SummaryVaccination with heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) has significantly reduced the burden of pneumococcal disease and has had an important public health benefit. Because this vaccine targets only seven of the more than 92 pneumococcal serotypes, concerns have been raised that non-vaccine serotypes (NVTs) could increase in prevalence and reduce the benefits of vaccination. Indeed, among asymptomatic carriers, the prevalence of NVTs has increased substantially, and consequently, there has been little or no net change in the bacterial carriage prevalence. (Source: LANCET)

FDA Committee Votes to Broaden PCV13 Indication to Adults 50 and Older

AAFP Health of the Public — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 04:55:00 +0100

The 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, or PCV13, which is marketed as Prevnar 13, most likely will receive an expanded age indication -- and, possibly, a CDC recommendation -- by the middle of 2012. That's according to one family physician who currently sits on the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

FDA advisory committee votes to extend use of pneumococcal vaccine to adults

Modern Medicine — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biologics Advisory Committee recently voted in favor of expanding the indication for the pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine (Prevnar 13) for the prevention of pneumococcal disease in adults age 50 years and older, Pfizer Inc, the drug’s manufacturer, said in a statement. (Source: Modern Medicine)

Washington State Pediatricians' Attitudes Toward Alternative Childhood Immunization Schedules

PEDIATRICS — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Washington State pediatricians are regularly being asked to use ACISs, and most of them are comfortable using them if requested. Pediatricians are least willing to delay H influenzae type b vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus toxoids-acellular pertussis vaccine, and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, which suggests prioritization of immunizations that protect against potentially devastating bacterial infections of infancy and early childhood. (Source: PEDIATRICS)

Immunogenicity and Safety of MMRV and PCV-7 Administered Concomitantly in Healthy Children

PEDIATRICS — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant administration of the MMRV and PCV-7 is highly immunogenic and generally well tolerated. Similar immune responses between the groups support concomitant administration of the MMRV and PCV-7 to healthy children 12 to 15 months of age. (Source: PEDIATRICS)

Emergency Department Laboratory Evaluations of Fever Without Source in Children Aged 3 to 36 Months

PEDIATRICS — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Little is known about emergency department (ED) physicians' practice patterns in diagnostic testing of patients with fever without source (FWS) in the 3- to 36-month-old age group, particularly after introduction of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. In the majority of US ED visits for FWS among children aged 3 to 36 months, physicians ordered no tests (complete blood count, urinalysis, blood culture, radiographs, or rapid influenza). Physicians ordered a urinalysis in <50% of visits by girls with a temperature of ≥39°C. (Read the full article) (Source: PEDIATRICS)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Antibody response is reduced following vaccination with 7‐valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine in adult methotrexate‐treated patients with established arthritis, but not those treated with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors

Arthritis and Rheumatism — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

ConclusionTreatment with MTX and higher age were predictive of an impaired antibody response to the 7‐valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine in this cohort of patients with chronic arthritis. TNF inhibitors did not significantly affect antibody responses. (Source: Arthritis and Rheumatism)

[Kidney transplantation and infection in childhood].

Nephrologie and Therapeutique — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Ranchin B, Hees L, Stamm D, Bertholet-Thomas A, Billaud G, Lina G, Cochat P, Gillet Y Abstract Infectious risk is more important in the transplanted child than in adult because children are less often immunised against pathogens ant more exposed than adults to numerous infectious agents (virus but also bacteria including pneumococcus). The application of the standard immunisation schedule must be a permanent concern of transplantation (Tx) teams. Some vaccines that are not planned in the standard immunization schedule are particularly advised for the child and his family circle, as well as for caregivers. Immunisation response must be evaluated by a serological follow-up before Tx, in particular during the pre-Tx diagnostic work-up, then regularly after Tx. The more freque...

Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles associated with bacterial meningitis among children: A referral hospital-based study in Iran.

Acta Microbiologica et Immunologica Hungarica — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

In conclusion, despite the advances in antibiotic therapy and vaccine development, bacterial meningitis still is a health problem. S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, and N. meningitidis are the main sources of bacterial meningitis, but other organisms such as E. coli should also be suspected, when a case is admitted to a referral pediatric hospital. PMID: 22207285 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Acta Microbiologica et Immunologica Hungarica)

13-valent pneumococcal vaccine is underused, CDC finds

Modern Medicine Contemporary Pediatrics — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Only about one-third of children for whom a supplemental dose of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine was recommended actually received it, according to CDC researchers. (Source: Modern Medicine Contemporary Pediatrics)

Advance market commitment for pneumococcal vaccines: putting theory into practice.

Bulletin of the World Health Organization — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Cernuschi T, Furrer E, Schwalbe N, Jones A, Berndt ER, McAdams S Abstract Markets for life-saving vaccines do not often generate the most desired outcomes from a public health perspective in terms of product quantity, quality, affordability, programmatic suitability and/or sustainability for use in the lowest income countries. The perceived risks and uncertainties about sustainably funded demand from developing countries often leads to underinvestment in development and manufacturing of appropriate products. The pilot initiative Advance Market Commitment (AMC) for pneumococcal vaccines, launched in 2009, aims to remove some of these market risks by providing a legally binding forward commitment to purchase vaccines according to predetermined terms. To date, 14 countries ha...

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

'HIV tests for all' proposed

NHS News Feed — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:53:00 +0100

“UK experts call for universal HIV testing in a bid to reduce infections,” BBC News has said. This widely reported news is based on recommendations in the Health Protection Agency’s (HPA) annual report on HIV in the UK. The HPA says that the number of people living with HIV has reached an estimated 91,500, but more than 21,000 of these people may not know that they have the infection. It wants everyone who attends a sexual health clinic to be tested to reduce the number of people who are unaware that they have HIV. In areas where rates of HIV infection are high, the HPA also wants tests for everyone who registers with a new GP or is admitted to hospital. The HPA recommends that people most at risk of HIV infection (such as men who have sex with men, black Africans and people who in...

A Vaccine Prototype Stronger Than Traditional Vaccines

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:00:00 +0100

Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) researchers have created a vaccine that is more potent than traditional vaccines available today. The glycoconjugate vaccine prototype is 100 times more effective than traditional glycoconjugate vaccines. Their work is published in the December 2011 issue of Nature Medicine. A glycoconjugate vaccine is comprised of covalently bound carbohydrate and protein molecules, and is the standard design for many vaccines used to protect against common diseases such as pneumonia and meningitis... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Active Immunization with Pneumolysin versus 23-Valent Polysaccharide Vaccine for Streptococcus pneumoniae Keratitis [Immunology and Microbiology]

Investigative Ophthalmology — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions. Active immunization with pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide and Freund's adjuvant fails to produce opsonizing antibodies, and passive administration of serotype specific opsonizing antibodies offers no protection against pneumococcal keratitis in the rabbit, whereas active immunization with the conserved protein virulence factor PLY and Freund's adjuvant is able to reduce corneal inflammation associated with pneumococcal keratitis, but has variable effects on bacterial loads in the cornea. (Source: Investigative Ophthalmology)

[Review] Making new vaccines affordable: a comparison of financing processes used to develop and deploy new meningococcal and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines

LANCET — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:00:53 +0100

SummaryMechanisms to increase access to health products are varied and controversial. Two innovative mechanisms have been used to accelerate the development of low-price supply lines for conjugate vaccines. The Meningitis Vaccine Project is a so-called push mechanism that facilitated technology transfer to an Indian company to establish capacity to manufacture a vaccine. The Advanced Market Commitment for pneumococcal vaccines is a so-called pull mechanism that guarantees companies a supplement paid in addition to the purchase price for vaccines for a specific period. (Source: LANCET)

Nigeria: 'FG Will Introduce Pneumonia Vaccine in 2013'

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:31:59 +0100

Despite calls for the inclusion of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) the immunization programme, the Federal Government said funding challenges has made it impossible to do so. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

An investigation into the molecular basis of Streptococcus pneumoniae of different isolates: Category: Lesson in Microbiology & Infection Control

Journal of Infection — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:05:46 +0100

The objective of this research programme is to identify the differentially synthesised bacterial proteins between resistant and sensitive S. Pneumoniae isolates. In addition, proteins that define bacterial pathogenesis, particularly bacterial invasiveness, will also be located using proteomic and mass spectrometry technology to establish correlations between bacterial invasiveness, antibiotic resistance and the differential protein expression. The data obtained from the study can be used as a valid approach for the potential development of new therapeutic and diagnostic solutions. (Source: Journal of Infection)

Nigeria: Nation Stands Against Child Killer Pneumonia

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 10:24:07 +0100

An expert committee on pneumococcal disease has recommended routine immunisation of children from the first six weeks of life till they turn 5 years in a bid to prevent death by pneumonia using new vaccines to be introduced by 2013. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

Recognizing the symptoms of meningitis

Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:36:27 +0100

A Boston middle school student died earlier this week, and bacterial meningitis is thought to be the cause of death. According to reports, the young girl complained to a school nurse that she felt sick on Friday; by Monday night she had died. Meningitis is the term for an infection that affects the brain and spinal cord. There are lots of different kinds, from mild types of viral meningitis that completely resolve without any problems, to the severe kind of bacterial meningitis that is being blamed for this young girl’s death. It’s a tragic story and one that’s likely to get media coverage because of the patient’s young age and the fact that bacterial meningitis can be contagious. It’s most likely to be transmitted from person to person in close living quarters, especially throug...

Primary vaccination with the 10-valent pneumococcal non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV) in infants in Mali and Nigeria: a randomized controlled trial

BMC Public Health - Latest articles — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Background: Pneumonia is still the leading cause of death among children in Africa, and pneumococcal serotypes 1 and 5 are frequently isolated from African children with invasive pneumococcal disease below the age of 5 years. The immunogenicity, safety and reactogenicity of 3-dose primary vaccination with the 10-valent pneumococcal non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV) were evaluated in infants in Mali and Nigeria. Methods: In an open, randomized, controlled study, 357 infants received DTPw-HBV/Hib and OPV primary vaccination with (PHiD-CV group) or without (control group) PHiD-CV co-administration at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age. Pneumococcal antibody responses and opsonophagocytic activity (OPA) were measured and adverse events (AEs) recorded. Results: On...

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Nigeria: FG Target Six Million Children for Pneumonia Vaccine

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:28:20 +0100

About six million Nigerian children will be immunized against the deadly killer childhood disease known as pneumonia come 2013, the executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development agency, Dr Ado Muhammed has said. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

PNEUMOVAX 23 (Pneumococcal Vaccine Polyvalent) Injection, Solution [Merck Sharp Dohme Corp.]

DailyMed Drug Label Updates for the last seven days (since May 20, 2007 EST) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Updated Date: Nov 22, 2011 EST (Source: DailyMed Drug Label Updates for the last seven days (since May 20, 2007 EST))

Acute otitis media: antibiotics are moderately effective and mildly increase the risk of adverse effects; prevalence of different causative bacteria changed after introduction of the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

Evidence-Based Medicine — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Context Acute otitis media (AOM) is a common infection of childhood often immediately treated with antibiotics in the USA,1 while delayed prescribing is common in the UK.2 It is unclear how recent conjugate vaccines have affected microbial epidemiology and whether antibiotic efficacy in AOM has changed over the past decade. Methods Coker and colleagues systematically searched the PubMed, Cochrane and Web of Science databases for manuscripts published from 1999 through 2010 for studies of children with AOM (aged 4 months to 18 years) that reported diagnostic accuracy, treatment outcomes or the effect of heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-7) upon microbial epidemiology. This search supplemented to authors published systematic review of the literature from 1966 through 1999.3 Two...

Uganda: Pneumonia Vaccine Coming to Uganda

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:19:59 +0100

A survey of seven Ugandan mothers (with children under five) and one Ugandan father revealed that parents are generally ignorant about pneumonia being a leading cause of death for children in this age category. Of the eight respondents who were asked to mention the disease that is the leading cause of death of children under five, only one mentioned pneumonia. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

FDA Panel Backs Pfizer Vaccine for Adults

Drugs.com - Pharma News — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:11:01 +0100

From Associated Press (November 16, 2011) WASHINGTON -- A panel of federal health experts voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to recommend that Pfizer's best-selling vaccine be approved for a new use in preventing pneumococcal disease in adults age... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Vaccine effectiveness in preventing influenza hospitalizations in Navarre, Spain, 2010-2011: Cohort and case-control study.

Vaccine — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Castilla J, Martínez-Artola V, Salcedo E, Martínez-Baz I, Cenoz MG, Guevara M, Alvarez N, Irisarri F, Morán J, Barricarte A, Abstract We evaluated the 2010-2011 seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness in preventing hospitalizations. Using healthcare databases we defined the target population for vaccination in Navarre, Spain, consisting of 217,320 people with major chronic conditions or aged 60 years and older. All hospitalized patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) were swabbed for influenza testing. A total of 269 patients with ILI were hospitalized and 61 of them were found positive for influenza virus: 58 for A(H1N1)2009 and 3 for B virus. The incidence rates of hospitalization with laboratory-confirmed influenza were compared by vaccination status. In the Cox...

FDA Panel Supports Pneumonia Vaccine for Adults 50 and OlderFDA Panel Supports Pneumonia Vaccine for Adults 50 and Older

Medscape Today Headlines — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:33:09 +0100

An FDA advisory committee voted in favor of expanding the indication of Prevnar 13 to adults aged 50 and older under the FDA's accelerated approval regulation. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

FDA panel backs Pfizer vaccine for adults

Reuters: Health — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:40:58 +0100

SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc won expert backing for using its blockbuster vaccine in adults to fight pneumonia, meningitis and other diseases caused by pneumococcus bacteria. (Source: Reuters: Health)

Pneumococcal vaccine: First report of cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman disease in an elderly patient: case report

Reactions — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:59:42 +0100

(Source: Reactions)

FDA Panel Votes to Expand Use of Pneumococcal Vaccine to Adults

MedPage Today Geriatrics — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:43:35 +0100

(MedPage Today) -- SILVER SPRING, Md. -- An FDA advisory committee has voted 14-1 in favor of expanding the indication for the pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine (Prevnar 13) to include use in adults 50 and older. (Source: MedPage Today Geriatrics)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Serotype changes in adult invasive pneumococcal infections in Portugal did not reduce the high fraction of potentially vaccine preventable infections.

Vaccine — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Horácio AN, Diamantino-Miranda J, Aguiar SI, Ramirez M, Melo-Cristino J, Abstract We determined the serotype and antimicrobial susceptibility of 1100 isolates responsible for adult invasive pneumococcal infections (IPD) in Portugal between 2006 and 2008. Serotypes 3 (13%), 1 (12%), 7F (11%), 19A (10%) and 14 (7%) were the most frequent causes of IPD and the two later serotypes accounted for the majority of erythromycin and penicillin nonsusceptible isolates. Serotype 1 was associated with younger adults whereas serotype 3 was associated with older adults. Despite the availability of the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) in Portugal since 1996, the proportion of PPV23 preventable IPD remained stable and above 80%. Comparing with previous data from Portugal, we show...

Development of immunization trials against Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Vaccine — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Ahmad TA, El-Sayed LH, Haroun MA, Hussein AA, El Ashry ES Abstract Klebsiella pneumoniae is the most common cause of nosocomial respiratory tract and premature intensive care infections, and the second most frequent cause of Gram-negative bacteraemia and urinary tract infections. Drug resistant isolates remain an important hospital-acquired bacterial pathogen, add significantly to hospital stays, and are especially problematic in high impact medical areas such as intensive care units. Many investigations worldwide proved the increasing resistance of such pathogen, resulting in an average rate of 1.63 outbreak every year. A variety of preventive measures were applied to reduce such incidences. Immunotherapy and passive immunization researches as well found their way to the ...

Leaving health to luck?

Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:24:05 +0100

Claire McCarthy, MD Avoiding the chickenpox vaccine has been in the news recently, with the story of a company offering lollipops licked by kids with chickenpox as a way to give your child the illness. Some parents, apparently, would rather use those lollipops, or take their child to a chickenpox party to play with infected kids, than give their child the vaccine. It got me thinking about my mother and her quest to give me chickenpox when I was a child. She would have drawn the line at the lollipops (which is a ludicrous idea—not only is it incredibly unlikely to work, but who knows what other germs were in that kid’s mouth), but she would have taken me to the parties in a heartbeat. She did her own version: she took me to play with neighborhood kids when they got chickenpox. My mot...

Implementation of herd health program to improve survival of Boer goats in Malaysia

Tropical Animal Health and Production — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 07:18:25 +0100

Abstract A Boer goat breeding farm with 800 heads of breeder females, 50 breeder males, and 400 growing goats of various ages in Sabah, Malaysia was selected to study the effect of implementing herd health program. This included vaccination program against pneumonic mannheimiosis; fecal monitoring for helminthiasis, coccidiosis, and colibacillosis; and introduction of modified feeding regime comprised of day-time grazing and feeding of cut grass and supplemented feed. The herd health program was implemented in September 2007 and the impact was observed on body weight gains, body scoring, and annual mortality among adults and kids. It was found that implementation of herd health program significantly (p < 0.05) increased the average body weight gains in both adults an...

Evaluation of CD4+/CD8+ T-cell expression and IFN-γ, perforin secretion for B-T constructs of F1 and V antigens of Yersinia pestis.

International Immunopharmacology — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This study proposes a new perspective for the development of vaccination strategies for Y. pestis that trigger T cell immune response. PMID: 22094541 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: International Immunopharmacology)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar works in adults, FDA says

Health News: CBSNews.com — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:42:11 +0100

Agency says vaccine is just effective as rival vaccine at preventing potentially deadly infection (Source: Health News: CBSNews.com)

Vaccine Cut Bacterial Strain Linked to Meningitis, Pneumonia

MedicineNet Senior Health General — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 07:00:00 +0100

Title: Vaccine Cut Bacterial Strain Linked to Meningitis, PneumoniaCategory: Health NewsCreated: 11/11/2011 6:06:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 11/14/2011 (Source: MedicineNet Senior Health General)

Complicated Pneumococcal Meningitis in a Fully Vaccinated Child: Value of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Monitoring

Neuropediatrics — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

We report the investigations of a child with failure of PCV7 vaccine to protect against vaccine-serotype invasive disease. Use of corticosteroids and temporal association with changes in brain imaging are described for the first time in literature.[...]© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New YorkArticle in Thieme eJournals:Table of contents | Abstract | Full text (Source: Neuropediatrics)

Bacterial meningitis among children under the age of 2 years in a high human immunodeficiency virus prevalence area after Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine introduction

Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Following H. influenzae type b vaccine introduction, S. pneumoniae and Salmonella spp. are the major causes of bacterial meningitis among children < 2 years in Uganda. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines and reduction in mother to child transmission of HIV could reduce the observed mortality. (Source: Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Family physicians beliefs and attitudes regarding adult pneumococcal and influenza immunization in Lebanon

Family Practice — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions. Education and intervention efforts are needed to overcome barriers faced by practitioners and to define the most effective strategies to overcoming these barriers. (Source: Family Practice)

Rate of Pneumonia Vaccination Among Seniors Falls Short

MedPage Today State Required CME — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 14:43:21 +0100

(MedPage Today) -- More patients 65 and older are getting vaccinated for pneumonia, but the rate hasn't quite reached government targets, according to a report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the CDC. (Source: MedPage Today State Required CME)

Vaccine Cut Flu Strain Linked to Meningitis, Pneumonia

The Doctors Lounge - Infections — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

However, other types of bacteria continue to cause disease (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Infections)

Vaccine Cut Bacterial Strain Linked to Meningitis, Pneumonia

MedlinePlus Health News — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:00:00 +0100

However, other types of bacteria continue to cause disease Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Childhood Immunization, Meningitis (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)

Pneumococcal Vaccines Could Save Millions Of Lives

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0100

According to new study published Nov. 10 in the journal International Health, millions of lives in developing countries could be saved using highly cost-effective vaccines against the main cause of deaths from pneumonia. Over the next decade, researchers estimate that with support from the GAVI Alliance three to four million children's lives could be saved as a result of introducing two pneumococcal vaccines in the world's poorest countries... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Vaccine Cut Flu Strain Linked to Meningitis, Pneumonia

MedicineNet Senior Health General — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 07:00:00 +0100

Title: Vaccine Cut Flu Strain Linked to Meningitis, PneumoniaCategory: Health NewsCreated: 11/11/2011 10:06:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 11/11/2011 (Source: MedicineNet Senior Health General)

The persisting burden of invasive pneumococcal disease in HIV patients: an observational cohort study

BMC Infectious Diseases — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

We describe the burden and risk factors for pneumococcal disease in the modern era of HIV care and evaluate the use of a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV-23). Methods: The incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) between January 1st, 2000 and January 1st, 2010 in a regional HIV population in Southern Alberta, Canada was determined by linking comprehensive laboratory and hospital surveillance data. Clinical and epidemiologic data including risk factors for S. pneumoniae, history of pneumococcal immunization, serotypes of infections, and length of any hospitalizations for pneumococcal disease were evaluated with multivariate analysis. CD4 count and viral load at immunization were evaluated with a nested case-control analysis. Results: In 1946 HIV-patients with 11,09...

Development of production and purification processes of recombinant fragment of pneumococcal surface protein A in Escherichia coli using different carbon sources and chromatography sequences.

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Carvalho RJ, Cabrera-Crespo J, Tanizaki MM, Gonçalves VM Abstract Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) is essential for Streptococcus pneumoniae virulence and its use either as a novel pneumococcal vaccine or as carrier in a conjugate vaccine would improve the protection and the coverage of the vaccine. Within this context, the development of scalable production and purification processes of His-tagged recombinant fragment of PspA from clade 3 (rfPspA3) in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) was proposed. Fed-batch production was performed using chemically defined medium with glucose or glycerol as carbon source. Although the use of glycerol led to lower acetate production, the concentration of cells were similar at the end of both fed-batches, reaching high cell density of E. co...

Immunologic responses to polysaccharides and polysaccharide–conjugate vaccines are complex

The Journal of Pediatrics — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:14:12 +0100

The concurrent evaluations of pneumococcal nasopharyngeal colonization and responsiveness to pneumococcal polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine (PCV) provide insight into the complexity of immunologic responses. We knew that PCV affects colonization, and now we know that colonization affects PCV response. (Source: The Journal of Pediatrics)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Progress, Value In Vaccination Against Deadly Pneumonia

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:00:00 +0100

Vaccines against the primary cause of deaths from pneumonia in developing countries could save millions of lives and are highly cost-effective, according to a comprehensive new analysis to be released on Thursday, Nov. 10. In a paper published in the journal International Health, the authors estimate that two pneumococcal vaccines being introduced in the world's poorest countries with support from the GAVI Alliance could save the lives of three to four million children over the next 10 years... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Pfizer to push Prevenar beyond large Chinese cities

Reuters: Health — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 07:51:34 +0100

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc, the world's largest drug maker, aims to push sales of its Prevenar vaccine for children beyond large Chinese cities in collaboration with partner Shanghai Pharmaceutical and possibly other new partners. (Source: Reuters: Health)

The importance of patch tests in the differential diagnosis of adverse drug reactions

Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 07:13:02 +0100

We report the case of a 39-year-old woman diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, who presented at the emergency clinic with exudative erythema multiforme which started 10 days after taking amoxicillin and clavulanic acid for tonsillitis together (almost simultaneously) with the pneumococcal vaccine. Rowell's syndrome was also considered to be a possibility. Skin patch tests were carried with the standard battery of patches (GPEDC) and the active ingredients of the suspected drugs (Chemotechnique ®), with readings at D2 and D3. The tests were positive for amoxicillin 10% pet (++), ampicillin 10% pet (+ +) and penicillin G potassium 10% pet (+). We accepted the diagnosis of erythema multiforme due to amoxicillin, confirmed by patch testing (Source: Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia)

Ten years of human metapneumovirus research

Journal of Clinical Virology — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Abstract: Described for the first time in 2001, human metapneumovirus (hMPV) has become one of the main viral pathogens responsible for acute respiratory tract infections in children but also in the elderly and immuno-compromised patients. The pathogen most closely related to hMPV is human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV), the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in young children. hMPV has been classified into two main viral groups A and B and has a seasonal distribution in temperate countries with most cases occurring in winter and spring. Given the difficulties encountered in culturing hMPV in vitro, diagnosis is generally achieved using real-time polymerase chain reaction.Like other Paramyxoviridae, hMPV has a negative-sense single-stranded RNA genome that includes 8 gene...