Category: Vaccine

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Immune dysfunction prior to and during vaccination in multiple myeloma: a case study based on COVID-19 - Nature.com

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A systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 studies suggests meningococcal vaccines show moderate effectiveness against gonorrhea infection, researchers reported yesterday in the Journal of Infection.

Of the 12 studies included in the review, conducted by a team of researchers from Australia, nine evaluated the evidence of vaccine effectiveness (VE) of meningococcal B (MenB) outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccines against gonorrhea, and one evaluated VE of a non-OMV-based vaccine (MenB-FHbp)

While previous studies have indicated that the four-component serogroup B meningococcal vaccine (4CMenB) and other OMV-based MenB vaccines, which target Neisseria meningitides, may provide some cross-protection against Neisseria gonorrhoeae, none have synthesized and examined the evidence of the effects of all meningococcal vaccines on gonococcal infections.

Most of the included studies targeted people aged 15 to 30 years in 8 countries: Australia, Canada, Cuba, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, and the United States. Six of the studies evaluated the VE of the 4CMenB vaccine. The adjusted VE for OMV-based vaccines against gonorrhea ranged from 22% to 46%. The pooled VE estimates of OMV vaccines against any gonorrhea infection following the full vaccine series were 33% to 34%. The observed vaccine impact (VI) ranged from a 30% reduction in gonorrhea incidence in South Australia to a 59% reduction in Quebec, Canada.

The MenB-FHbp vaccine showed no protection against gonorrhea.

The study authors say that while the variation in VE and VI could be attributed to differences in vaccination programs, target age-groups, and the regional epidemiology of gonococcal infections, the findings "provide reassurance regarding the cross-protection provided by MenB vaccines." And with the prevalence of N gonorrhoeae strains with resistance to most commonly used antibiotics on the rise worldwide, and no highly effective, gonorrhea-specific vaccine on the horizon, they suggest vaccines like 4CMenB are "the most favorable approach" to combat the increasing incidence of gonorrhea.

These findings emphasise the potential value of incorporating meningococcal vaccination into strategies aimed at controlling gonococcal infections.

"These findings emphasise the potential value of incorporating meningococcal vaccination into strategies aimed at controlling gonococcal infections, particularly in regions with high incidence rates and limited treatment options due to antibiotic resistance," they wrote.

Read more here:

Meningococcal vaccines shown to be moderately effective against gonorrhea - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

No matter how good immunisation programmes are, some infants fall through the net and do not receive the vaccines they need at the optimal, recommended moment. But when it comes to vaccination, its better late than never.

Following drops in immunisation coverage seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gavi and other partners are spearheading the Big Catch-up initiative. But more generally, catching up missed children is an important responsibility of integrated primary health care systems, both during outreaches and at the clinic. Going out into the community to provide care takes time and effort to organise, so it makes sense to provide a bundle of services, including vaccination. Meantime, when caregivers attend health facilities with their child for any reason, their visit is an opportunity to ask about immunisation status, and may offer a chance to provide deliver vaccine doses.

For the immunisation session at Teach to Reach 10, an experience-sharing event that took place on 20 June 2024, drawing participation from more than 21,000 health workers from the Global South, the Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF) invited attendees to share their experiences of integrating services. Their responses offer insight into the nimble pragmatism of primary health care done right.

In some cases, immunisation catch-up activities piggy-back onto other community-oriented services:

During family planning activities, routine vaccination was integrated. This made it possible to catch up with several children who had not yet received their first dose of measles vaccine This activity helped reduce the incidence of measles cases in the community. This strategy also made it possible to reduce the costs of implementing the routine EPI because the agents had the possibility of thinking of several activities in a single outing.

- Anon, Sanitary Technology Engineer, Ministry of Health, Yamoussoukro Health District, Cte dIvoire

Other contributors described how activities had been planned around community events, with services provided for multiple age groups:

Vaccination days were set as days of intensification of nutritional activities. Every month in some of my health facilities, we choose the fair days as health fairs. A child can receive the care they need, such as screening for malnutrition and its management, vaccination or catch-up, deworming, nutritional advice. For adults, they can receive screening for diabetes or its control, control of blood pressure. Everyone welcomes the time-saving, money-saving benefits of integrating primary health care services.

- Fousseyni Dembele, Public Health Physician (MPH), Mali

The benefits can also work in reverse, with routine vaccination activities in the community providing an opportunity to deliver additional services:

The most memorable story of child vaccination is when we went for community outreach for child immunisation. A little girl was brought for immunisation and what she needed was a vitamin A supplement. When we asked the mother to bring her the vitamin, the little girl refused, with tears gushing out from her eyes. We had to get some sweets to give her in order to get her trust. After giving her the sweets with a smile on her face then we presented the vitamins and she received them happily.

- Esther Yusuf Yakubu, Public Health Specialist (MPH), NGO, Plateau State, Nigeria

A highly effective catch-up strategy is avoiding missed opportunities for vaccination (MOV) contacts with health services that do not lead to identification and vaccination of under-immunised infants. In many countries this is a national policy and formal part of daily practice:

This vaccination practice is common here in Cte dIvoire. During daily consultations, if a child presents to our services, whatever the cause for which they came and their state of health allows it, we vaccinate them. This practice makes it possible to catch up with those who are not up to date in the schedule and also improve vaccination coverage.

- Sopi Sess Michel, Sanitary Engineering Engineer, Ministry of Health, San Pedro, Cte dIvoire

While the strategy can be written into national or institutional policies, it is vital that it is adopted in practice. Several respondents described how, as well as providing care for a sick child, they have also taken the time to enquire about immunisation status:

One day a woman came to our health facility who was having a fever and cough. The woman had a five-month-old baby also. We attended to her complaint and gave her the medicine she deserved. After that, we asked her about the immunszation status of her baby but surprisingly, she said that the baby did not have any vaccine. She said that there was no nearby health facility providing vaccinations. On hearing that, the health worker in charge of vaccination counselled her on the need to have her baby vaccinated and that she could come to the facility on an appointed date for her baby to complete her immunisation schedule. After convincing her, the baby was administered the vaccines appropriate to her age schedule. The woman was happy and showed her appreciation.

- Abdulrahman Umar Pella, Community Health Practitioner, Gombi Local Government Area, Nigeria

This personal approach enables the causes of missed vaccinations to be approached. In the context of caregiving, people may be more receptive to messaging around vaccination:

A baby was rushed to my facility sometimes last year around Christmas. The baby was convulsed and the mother was crying thinking that the baby will not survive it as the baby is the only survivor child for her. Myself and the hospital tried to stabilise the child and when the mother calmed down to see her child had come around, I called the mother to my office confidentially to ask some vital questions about immunisation, when I got to know that the child had never been given immunisation. I asked the mother further the reason why she didnt take her child for immunisation. She confided in me that, due to a still birth, a herbalist warned her not to immunise her child. I asked her to bring her husband to convince both together and tell them about the importance of immunisation. Up till now the child is doing well because we asked her to give the child immunisation, which she did after several pleading. The procedure that made this work for me is confidentiality and trust.

- Eegunjobi Anifat Omowumi, Public Health Specialist (MPH), Ministry of Health, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria

A failure to have a child vaccinated is not always a sign of antipathy to vaccination. Sometimes other priorities intercede, so vaccination at another contact with the health service can provide a more convenient opportunity for caregivers:

One such memorable experience involved a mother who brought her young daughter to our facility for a routine check-up due to a mild respiratory infection. As I conducted the check-up, I engaged the mother in a conversation about her childs overall health and vaccination status. Through our discussion, I discovered that her daughter had missed several key vaccinations due to the familys recent relocation and the disruptions caused by it. The mother was unaware of the importance of staying on schedule with the immunisation plan and the potential risks of missing vaccinations. Recognising the opportunity, I explained the benefits of vaccinations and addressed her concerns about vaccine safety. I informed her about the policies in place at our facility that allow for the integration of immunisation services with other health visits. Our health facility operates under a policy that promotes a holistic approach to health care, ensuring that every patient encounter is maximised for comprehensive health promotion. With the mothers consent, I was able to administer the necessary vaccines during the same visit. This not only saved her an additional trip to the facility, but also ensured that her child was up to date with her immunisation schedule.

- Fatima Ado Garba, Nurse, Gashua, Nigeria

Several respondents noted that these valuable activities are not always easy in practice but the potential benefits are great:

Integrating immunisation with other services wasnt always straightforward. I faced several challenges, such as time constraints during busy clinic hours, limited vaccine supplies, and occasional resistance from parents who were sceptical about vaccines. Additionally, the health facilitys electronic health record system, though useful, sometimes had issues with updating and retrieving vaccination histories promptly I believe that continuous training for health care staff on integrating immunisation with other health services, coupled with community outreach programmes to build trust in vaccines, could significantly reduce missed vaccination opportunities and improve overall public health outcomes.

- Claudius Mbuya, Social Worker, NGO, Kisumu, Kenya

Note: Contributor quotes in this article are their own and do not necessarily represent their employers.

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The vaccine back-stop - Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

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Former Shelby Vaccine Chief Loses Bid to Clear Name After Botched Rollout - Memphis Flyer

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Optimizing the location of vaccination sites to stop a zoonotic epidemic - Nature.com

Summit (Precision Vaccinations News)

AccordingtoStefan Merlo, Vice President of Commercial Operations,North America, CSL Seqirus, pharmacies in the United States will soon offer updated flu shots.

Mr. Merlo exclusively informed Precision Vaccinations News that as of July 9, 2024, CSL Seqirus was already shipping itsdifferentiated influenza vaccines for the 2024/25 Northern Hemisphere flu season.

"This year, we've transitioned to trivalent vaccine formulations, aligning with U.S. FDA guidelines."

"Our primary goal is to bolster protection against influenzaa mission that grows more critical season over season as immunization rates decline. By ensuring timely and widespread distribution of our vaccines, we aim to support healthcare providers in safeguarding their patients and communities this flu season."

"The recent declines in flu vaccination rates pose a significant impact on public health, particularly by straining healthcare systems and resulting in the U.S. CDC seeing higher influenza-related hospitalizations and deaths compared to seasons past."

"This unfortunate trend was seen across various and vulnerable age groups, with a 22% drop among children aged six months to 18 years and a 14% decrease in adults over 65, a group that typically maintains stable immunization rates."

"In response to the decline in immunization rates, CSL Seqirus is actively enhancing awareness of this significant problem and collaborating with public health stakeholders across the country to meet and exceed pre-pandemic vaccination levels."

"With shipmentsunderway, we are confident in our ability to deliver supply consistently and do our part to increase immunization rates and reduce the burden of influenza."

"At CSL Seqirus, we remain at the forefront of the fight against influenza, committed to offering influenza vaccine options and protecting communities from influenza-related complications."

"Our innovative and diverse influenza vaccine portfolio is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of different age groups, ensuring that all eligible individuals can safely receive their annual flu vaccination."

"This commitment not only protects individuals from influenza but also safeguards their loved ones by reducing the severity and spread of the virus," concluded Merlo.

CSL Seqirus offers a differentiated influenza vaccine option in the U.S. approved for use in people aged six months and older, which includes:

FLUCELVAXis a cell-based influenza vaccine indicated for use in people six months and older.

FLUAD, the first and only adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccine for adults 65 and older, is preferentially recommended by the CDCAdvisory Committee on Immunization Practicesover standard-dose influenza vaccines. FLUAD contains an MF59adjuvant designed to strengthen, broaden, and lengthen the immune response when added to an influenza vaccine.

AFLURIA is an egg-based influenza vaccine approved for use in eligible people six months and older.

During the last flu season in the U.S., local pharmacies successfully administered a significant share of influenza vaccines. This trend is expected to continue in 2024-2025 since pharmacies offer appointment scheduling and the broadest selection of vaccines.

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Portfolio of Influenza Vaccines Shipped Ahead of 2024-2025 Flu Season - Precision Vaccinations

A collaborative study has uncovered microproteins exclusive to liver tumors, presenting a new avenue for cancer vaccine development. These microproteins arise from genes previously considered non-coding, offering hope for effective treatments for low-mutation cancers like liver cancer.

Scientists identified a set of microproteins that are exclusively produced in liver tumors. This makes them a clear target for immune system cells and a potential target for cancer vaccine development.

A study has identified a group of small molecules exclusive to liver tumors that could be key to developing cancer vaccines. These are microproteins, very small proteins expressed only by tumor cells. This can result in the activation of immune cells against the tumor.

The study, which was led by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, with Cima University of Navarra and Pompeu Fabra University, will be published today (July 10) in the journal Science Advances.

By integrating data from tumors and healthy tissue from over one hundred liver cancer patients, the researchers identified this set of microproteins. These small molecules are generated from genes that were previously thought incapable of encoding proteins.

In recent years, there has been increasing attention to this group of genes, which, due to their short length or low expression, were considered non-coding. New techniques have revealed that some of these genes can indeed produce small proteins, says Mar Alb, an ICREA researcher at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute.

This discovery was made possible through a combination of computational techniques such as transcriptomics, translatomics, and proteomics, along with laboratory experiments aimed at studying the immune response.

The development of cancer vaccines relies on the immune systems ability to recognize foreign molecules that are not part of the body. Mutations in cancer cells generate foreign peptides that alert the immune system. However, the challenge lies with cancers that have low mutation rates, such as liver cancer. Studying microproteins, which were previously difficult to detect, offers an alternative.

This study shows that there is a significant number of microproteins exclusively expressed in tumor cells that could be used to develop new treatments, explains Marta Espinosa Camarena, a researcher at Hospital del Mar Research Institute.

We have seen that some of these microproteins can stimulate the immune system, potentially generating a response against cancer cells. This response can be enhanced with vaccines, similar to the coronavirus vaccines, but producing these microproteins. These vaccines could stop or reduce tumor growth, says Puri Fortes, a researcher at CIMA and CIBERehd.

Unlike other types of vaccines based on patient-specific mutations, this treatment could be used in multiple people, as the same microprotein is expressed in various patients.

Administering these vaccines could be relatively simple, although research for their application has not yet begun. That is our goal, the researchers indicate.

Reference: Microproteins encoded by non-canonical ORFs are a major source of tumor-specific antigens in a liver cancer patient meta-cohort by Camarena ME, Theunissen P, Ruiz M, Ruiz-Orera J, Calvo-Serra B, Castelo R, Castro C, Sarobe P, Fortes P, Perera-Bel, Alb MM, 10 July 2024, Science Advances. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn3628

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Cancer Vaccine Breakthrough: How Tiny Proteins Could Revolutionize Oncology - SciTechDaily

(Precision Vaccinations News)

Biotechnology company Apriori Bio recentlyannounced it was awarded $1.1 million fromthe Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to advance its biology-informed artificial intelligence platform Octavia, aimed at protecting humanity against rapidly evolving viruses by designing variant-resilient vaccines.

The new seed funding from CEPI will focus on pandemic influenza strain H3N2, which has previously affected pigs, birds, and humans.

The Octavia platform works by characterizing large libraries of viral variants on their ability to bind to cells in the human body and evade the immune response. Then, using machine learning, Octavia generates maps to identify the mutations that have the greatest escape potential and could, therefore, pose the greatest threat.

Octavia builds and trains its algorithms using computational insights and experimental biological data. This includes studying viral evolutionary trees to identify the point at which viral variability is most likely to occur and exploring how mutations could affect each other.

These insights can guide the design and updating of new vaccines and existing vaccines so that they can protect against worrisome variants for years to come.

Lovisa Afzelius, Ph.D., MBA, Co-founder and CEO of Apriori, said in a press release on July 7, 2024,We are honored to be recognized by a global leader in pandemic preparedness who shares our commitment to better protecting humanity from rapidly evolving viruses."

CEPIs 2022-2026 plan, known as CEPI 2.0, will help the world make the scientific progress needed to respond to the next Disease X threat with a new vaccine in just 100 days. This goal is known as the 100 Days Mission.

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$1.1 Million Award Advances Biology-informed Artificial Intelligence Platform - Precision Vaccinations

Austin (Precision Vaccinations News)

The Journal of Infection recently published insights on how vaccination can reduce the incidence of gonorrhea, a common sexually transmitted disease. Gonorrhea is one of the fastest-growingdiagnoses by percent change (16.8%).

This new study's findings indicatethat MenBvaccines may offer moderate protection against gonococcal infections.

Published on July 8, 2024, this systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the effectiveness of 4CMenB and MenB-OMV vaccines formeningococcal vaccination against gonococcal infections across 12 studies conducted incountries including the United States,New Zealand, Canada, Cuba, Australia, and Norway.

Modeling studies have suggested that even a partially effective vaccine could reduce the population prevalence of gonococcal infections by 3560% within ten yearsand decrease incidence by up to 25% over 70 years.

These findings emphasize the potential value of incorporating meningococcal vaccination into strategies to control gonococcal infections, particularly in regions with high incidence rates and limited treatment options due to antibiotic resistance.

However, further research is needed to ascertain the factors associated with vaccine protection and to provide more substantial evidence for cost-effectiveness analysis. This will inform vaccination strategies for the more effective management of gonococcal infections.

Furthermore, other countries besides the United Kingdomshould consider4CMenB vaccination programs for those at high risk of gonococcal infection.

In the U.S.,GSK'sBexsero(MenB-4C)vaccine was U.S. FDA-approved for intramuscular injection in2015 for 10- through 25-year-olds to prevent meningococcal group B disease caused byNeisseria meningitidisbacteria. As of 2024, peoplebetween the ages of 16 and 23 can receive the Bexsero vaccine based on 'shared clinical decision-making.'

This literature searchwas conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Google Scholar, clinical trial registries, and major health and immunization conferences.

A meta-analysis was performed with the DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model to estimate the pooled VE.

All study authors receive no personal payments from the industry. The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships that may be considered potential competing interests: Helen Marshall is an investigator on vaccine trials sponsored by iILiAD Biotechnologies, Pfizer, and Sanofi. Helen Marshalls institution receives funding for investigator-led studies from industry, including GSK, Pfizer, and Sanofi Pasteur.

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Vaccination Can Reduce Gonorrhea Cases - Precision Vaccinations

Starting in late 2020, the media and public health establishment had two obsessions. One related to forcing the public to wear masks, even though the mountains of data and several studies have confirmed that they don't stop transmission of respiratory viruses. The second obsession was forcing everyone to take COVID vaccines, regardless of their actual efficacy, risk of side effects, age or underlying health, or the vaccines' rapidly waning efficacy.

That obsession has not abated, though even the most extreme, hardened COVID extremists have acknowledged that mandates were a mistake and side effects should be acknowledged.

READ: Former CDC Director Makes Stunning Admission On COVID Vaccines

Even now, that obsession continues, despite the pandemic effectively ending. As has happened every single year since 2020, cases have increased in summer. And a Los Angeles media outlet, of course it had to be Los Angeles, has determined the culprit.

LOS ANGELES - A hiker wearing a mask because of the coronavirus walks past the Hollywood sign in Griffith Park in March of 2020. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Turns out it's not seasonality causing the increase, it's outdated COVID vaccines and a lack of public masking, of course!

NBC Los Angeles "reported" that COVID cases in California and Los Angeles have "doubled" in the last month. This sounds horrifying and scary, doesn't it? Yet it again, as is so often the case with COVID coverage, is misleading.

Here's the current COVID situation in Los Angeles County. Given the fear about a "doubling" of cases in recent weeks, it should be easy to spot how this surge compares to previous increases.

You can see why the media is scared, given how dramatic this surge appears to be compared to the previous four years. And thanks to NBC's crack reporting, we know why this terrifying increase is happening. People aren't wearing masks, and aren't getting the right COVID vaccines.

"People arent necessarily wearing masks; theyre not required to in certain places," nurse practitioner Alice Benjamin said. "Were traveling, were getting out for the summer. We also do have some reduced immunity. The vaccines will wane over time."

Nowhere in the story is it mentioned that the massive jump in COVID cases in late 2021 and early 2022 happened immediately after LA County Public Health issued a press release celebrating the county for achieving 95+ percent masking rates at indoor businesses. No one seems able to ask this nurse practitioner why she believes wearing masks would reduce this "surge," if it failed so spectacularly in previous surges.

She wasn't done with the misinformation though. Benjamin warned that not enough Angelenos are getting the "updated" vaccine, which explains the summer increase.

"If you got it in October and later, thats generally the updated vaccine," Benjamin said. "If you got it prior to October, double check because if you did get the bivalent which has not been phased out, we recommend you do get an updated vaccine."

And according to her, everyone should get it. Because the CDC said so.

"Per CDC recommendations, anyone 6 months or older should have at least one of the updated COVID vaccines," Benjamin said.

Though, of course, no one on the crack NBC Los Angeles team thought to ask Benjamin why the "updated" October vaccine would help against the FLiRT variant when it emerged six months after the "updated" vaccine was released. Especially when the "study" process for booster doses is effectively nonexistent anyway.

Her comments and the media reaction exemplifies the problems with COVID discourse that started in 2020 and will apparently continue forever. A complete and purposeful ignorance of the facts, the data, and the evidence base. A willingness to advocate for the same sort of restrictions and interventions that have already failed. Ignorance of the booster process and endless appeals to public health authorities. Even though those authorities have made countless mistakes and refused to update their findings after being proven wrong.

READ: Former CDC Director Admits COVID Mandates Were Destructive And Ineffective

The obvious question is how does this type of absurdist discourse ever end? The answer, as we continue to see, is it doesn't.

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The Media Is Now Blaming Outdated COVID Vaccines For Latest Surge - Outkick