Category: Vaccine

Getting the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine to protect against tuberculosis (TB) or having latent (inactive) TB in young adulthood arent linked to the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), a Norwegian study found.

The study, BCG vaccination and multiple sclerosis risk: A Norwegian cohort study, was published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal.

MS is an automminue disease that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin sheath, a protective coating around nerve fibers that helps them send signals more efficiently. The loss of myelin leads to progressive nerve fiber degeneration and a range of MS symptoms.

Although generally not recommended for use in the U.S., the BCG vaccine is one of the most widely used vaccines worldwide.

BCG, an attenuated strain of the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis, has been reported to have persistent effects on the immune system that may be relevant to treating or preventing autoimmune diseases. In the U.S., its considered only for people who meet specific criteria and in consultation with a TB expert, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says on its website.

The studys objective was to examine if BCG given in early adulthood decreases MS risk, the researchers wrote. A relationship between vaccinations and the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) has not been firmly established, they wrote.

The scientists analyzed data from a population-based Norwegian TB screening program that took place from 1963 to 1975. The program involved 791,369 individuals, 52% of them women, with a mean age at TB screening of 26.2 years. Some 89% had received the BCG vaccine, at a mean age of 15.6 years.

MS cases were found through the Norwegian MS Registry and Biobank, which started in 2001, and the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry.

A total of 2,862 MS cases, 65% of which were in women, were retrieved. The researchers found no association between MS risk and BCG vaccination, with no differences in the risk of developing MS between BCG-vaccinated individuals and nonvaccinated participants with no signs of TB infection.

The scientists then compared individuals born between 1920 and 1939 to those born between 1940 and 1959. Although the group born in the first period had a lower proportion of vaccinated individuals, fewer MS cases identified with symptom onset, and older age at vaccination, no clear association with MS risk was seen in any birth cohort category, the researchers wrote.

Because they wanted to exclude MS cases with disease onset before BCG vaccination, the team then restricted the vaccinated group to individuals who were vaccinated before age 18. Results were not substantially different.

Neither those BCG vaccinated nor those infected naturally with Mycobacterium tuberculosis differed from the non-vaccinated and uninfected population in terms of MS risk, the researchers wrote.

Read more:

BCG vaccine to prevent tuberculosis not linked to MS risk: Study - Multiple Sclerosis News Today

Since the pandemic began, some Republican Kentucky lawmakers have repeated common misinformation about COVID-19 and the vaccines that greatly reduce peoples risk of getting seriously sick or dying from it.

This week, that happened again when Republican state Sen. Lindsey Tichenor of Smithfield said inaccurately that the vaccines are ineffective and dangerous during a public debate in the Kentucky Legislature, and again in a news release sent by the Senate Republican caucus.

That news release originally cited two medical journal articles one retracted and the other disputed by doctors with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support a bill Tichenor sponsored that would bar employers and schools from requiring workers and students to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Senate approved the legislation, Senate Bill 295, Tuesday in a 25-11 vote. Most Republican senators voted in favor of it, but four voted against it, as did all Democratic senators.

The Senate GOP caucus backtracked on the inclusion of the retracted and disputed reports Wednesday after an inquiry from LPM News. An updated version of the news release removed both reports but kept other misinformation in.

The original news release sent out Tuesday by the Senate Republican caucus linked to three reports that they claimed supported the need for SB 295.

Near the top of one of those reports are two notices that say it was retracted by the medical journal that published it.

Another paper cited in the news release was disputed by professionals with the CDC.

The third link led to a fact sheet for health care providers regarding a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Its available on the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations website and includes information on the vaccine and related clinical studies.

LPM contacted the Republican caucus communications team about the inclusion of the retracted and disputed papers Wednesday morning. A few hours later, the caucus sent out an updated version of the news release that removed all three reports.

It included a notice at the top of the announcement that read, The previous version of this press release cited studies that have since been redacted. This source should have been removed from this updated release.

A wide body of research conducted since COVID-19 vaccines were developed in 2020 confirms they are safe and effective, and it shows significant side effects rarely happen.

Yet the retracted report initially cited in the GOPs news release claimed otherwise and suggested governments should endorse a global moratorium on the vaccines.

The authors of the article include people who repeatedly have spread misinformation about vaccines. A medical journal published the paper in January and then retracted it in late February due to the concerns with the validity of some of the cited references that support the conclusions and a misrepresentation of the cited references and available data.

Tichenor called the inclusion of the retracted paper in the news release a simple error in a statement to LPM. But she also cast doubt on the journals given reasons for retracting the paper and said the authors are filing a lawsuit for unethical retraction.

Considering the amount of censorship imposed on those who questioned the narrative during the past four years, I am not surprised to see this study retracted, she said. While the source data has been retracted, I believe it has been done so because the report may include evidence to support the concerns of countless people.

Tichenor did not specifically address the news releases initial inclusion of another article, published in 2022 by a different medical journal, that doctors with the CDC criticized.

That article concerned the deaths of two teenage boys soon after they received a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Several professionals with the CDC disputed the article in a letter to the editor.

They cited the CDCs own evaluations, including its determination that one of the patients died of a bacterial infection a conclusion with which the original articles authors disagreed.

While the Senate GOPs updated news release no longer included that disputed article or the retracted paper, it still included a quote from Tichenor in which she falsely calls COVID-19 vaccines ineffective and dangerous.

The original and updated Senate GOP news releases also reference data from the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or VAERS.

Anybody can report an adverse event to the system, but such reports arent proof that a health problem was caused by a vaccine, according to the CDC. VAERS is an early warning system that could lead to further investigation by the CDC and FDA.

Some people have used VAERS data to fuel misinformation about the vaccines safety during the pandemic.

Tichenor cited VAERS data while making inaccurate claims about the COVID-19 vaccines during a Tuesday debate in the Kentucky Senate.

The reason the Senate GOP originally sent out Tuesdays news release was to highlight the Senates approval of SB 295, of which Tichenor is the lead sponsor.

The bill would bar any COVID-19 vaccine from being required for someone to enroll in school, to work for an employer, to obtain a professional license, or to receive a health care service.

Students in Kentucky arent required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to go to school. Major medical providers, including Norton Healthcare, required COVID-19 vaccines for workers earlier in the pandemic but dropped them after the federal government ended its vaccine mandate for various health care facilities last year.

Past ethics guidance on the American Medical Associations website reads, In general, no, a physician should not refuse a patient simply because the individual is not vaccinated or declines to be vaccinated.

During Tuesdays debate and vote on SB 295, multiple Republican senators publicly cast doubt on the vaccines efficacy and safety, despite the established research showing they are safe and effective.

Proponents of the bill also said it supports personal freedom.

A few Republican and Democratic senators spoke against the bill, raising concerns about how it would affect elderly or otherwise vulnerable patients at nursing homes or other health care facilities. They also argued against restricting businesses freedom to impose a vaccine requirement on workers.

SB 295 still needs approval from the House. And it's late enough in the legislative session that it could be vulnerable to a veto by Gov. Andy Beshear.

This story was updated.

State government and politics reporting is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

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Kentucky Senate GOP backtracks after citing retracted COVID paper to support ban on vaccine mandates - WKU Public Radio

WILL COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) -- A measles case has been confirmed in Will County, health officials said Monday.

Officials said the case involves a child who had been in a Chicago migrant shelter and is now living and isolating with family in Will County after being exposed to measles early last week.

Will County health officials are now conducting contact tracing, including at a daycare and schools.

Ascension St. Joseph Hospital in Joliet is among the medical centers preparing for more measles cases.

Officials are again urging vaccination, but acknowledged at least some of the positive cases from the Pilsen migrant shelter involve people who'd already had one vaccine dose.

"Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and others against measles," said Will County Communicable Disease Program Manager Muneeza Azher. "If you are not vaccinated, we strongly encourage you to get the vaccine. If you are unsure whether you've been vaccinated, ask your healthcare provider to find out if you need a measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. If your child is 1 year old or older, and has never received the MMR vaccine, contact your child's pediatrician to discuss how your child can get caught up with their vaccines."

Younger students must wait another 21 days after their second dose before returning to preschool or daycare.

Illinois officials have confirmed 28 measles cases statewide this year. That includes 26 cases in Chicago and one each in Lake and Will counties, outpacing, in less than three months, the statewide total from the past eight years combined.

Measles signs and symptoms generally appear 10 to 14 days after exposure to the virus, officials said. Common symptoms of measles include high fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, red or watery eyes and tiny white spots that appear inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek.

Read more:

Measles outbreak Chicago: Health officials encourage measles vaccine after case confirmed in Will County; 26 confirmed in Chicago - WLS-TV

A coalition of education and healthcare organizations has been coordinating to encourage Gov. Jim Justice to veto a bill that would loosen some vaccination standards in West Virginia schools.

We are committed to provide the Governor what we consider the best evidence for the health and well-being of our citizens. As such, the data related to the maintaining current requirements for immunizing school-aged children in West Virginia are clear and West Virginia is regarded best-in-class, said Clay Marsh, executive dean for health sciences at West Virginia University.

Requiring immunizations with only medical exceptions protect our children and our communities against illnesses like measles, rubella, hepatitis, chickenpox, mumps, polio and mumps. Although border states have had measles outbreaks recently, we have not, because of our immunization requirements. We have shared this with Gov Justice, as have other groups that focus on the healthcare and health of our state.

House Bill 5105removes vaccination requirements for students in virtual public schools, and it also would allow private and parochial schools to set their own standards.

Lawmakers considered a provision that would have allowed parents to send in a letter citing a religious exemption to vaccination requirements, but that was not in the bill that passed on the final day of the regular legislative session.

Justice, during briefings two weeks in a row, said he had not yet made up his mind about the bill. He has until midnight Wednesday to take action on the bills passed by the Legislature.

During a briefing two weeks ago, Justice acknowledged the effort to influence his decision. Were bombarded with calls. Bombarded with calls from docs and all kinds of different people saying What are we doing? What in the world are we doing? Justice said then.

28 groups urge veto: The biggest push

Twenty-eight organizations sent a joint letter to the governor requesting a veto of the bill. The letter was also published in the Charleston Gazette-Mail on March 15. Many of the organizations also sent individual letters or communication requesting a veto.

We are hopeful that Governor Justice will take steps to protect children in West Virginia by vetoing HB 5105, said Elaine Darling, director of programs for the The Center for Rural Health Development, one of the organizations that has participated.

Dale Lee of the West Virginia Education Association, Jim Kaufman of the West Virginia Hospital Association and John Law of the West Virginia Medical Association each acknowledged the coordinated effort to encourage the governors rejection of the bill.

I stand with the Governor in protecting our students. Veto HB 5105. Dont turn back the clock putting our students at risk, Lee, president of the education association, posted on social media.

The activity includes an avalanche of telephone calls and letters.

Its probably the biggest push physicians have done since tort reform in the early 2000s, said Law, executive director of the medical association.

Letters from health organizations

A letter from medical association representatives to the governor aimed at appealing to the interests of Justice, who is a girls basketball coach and an enthusiast of activities at local schools.

As a successful high school basketball coach, you realize the importance of keeping students safe and healthy. We, as the states largest organization of physicians, agree with you. We have devoted our lives to the practice of healthcare, wrote representatives of the medical association.

As you said in your state-of-the-state address, our schools mean everything to our communities, and we got a lot going on in a good way. As you know, one of the things weve got going on in a good way is our high child immunization rates, thanks to our strong state immunization requirements for children in schools and daycare centers.

As of now, the West Virginia Department of Educationboasts thatthe state has one of the most effective school-entry vaccine preventable laws in the nation: The vaccination laws have proven to improve attendance rates for students and staff while ensuring children stay healthy, safe, and ready to learn.

West Virginia students entering school for the first timemust show proofof immunization against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, and hepatitis B unless properly medically exempted.

Measles has seen a resurgence in the news recently with the situation of an elementary school in Florida experiencingmeasles casesamong six students.

We appreciate that you are a man who looks at the data and the numbers. As an organization, we work to reduce healthcare costs in our communities. We know that you, too, have a mind toward ensuring that all West Virginians can get what they need, with fiscal responsibility as consideration at the same time, wrote representatives of the medical association.

Preventable disease outbreaks can cost state governments millions of dollars. Further, they can disrupt daily activities by closing offices, schools, and childcare facilities.

A letter from former State Health Officer Letitia Tierney described societal health benefits from strong vaccination policies and concluded by saying, I firmly stand with the governor and encourage him to be the leader we know him to be and veto HB 5105.

The American Medical Association weighed in with a letter asking the governor to veto the bill.

West Virginia has long been a champion of strong immunization policies and, as a result, boasts some of the highest immunization rates in the country and low rates of vaccine-preventable diseases, wrote James Madara of the AMA. Yet HB 5105 would exempt many school children from the very policies that have led to this success.

A debate that could continue

Other groups representing religious and health freedom interests have pushed for the governor to sign the bill.

Senator Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha, wrote on social media that this bill, even if it fails, is just the beginning.

IF there is an unfortunate veto of the minor immunization bill, it is but one small battle in the war for freedom. Next year there will be many more conservatives in the Legislature and next years bill wont be so small. We will go for full religious exemptions, Stuart posted.

Speaking on MetroNews Talkline, Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo said he hopes the bill is blocked.

I hope the governor vetoes it, said Takubo, R-Kanawha and a pulmonologist.

I have spoken to the governor personally about this and I hope he understands, you know, the covid issue has got a lot of people confused. Were talking about childhood vaccinations. Theyve been around for 40 years. If you look at a CDC map, West Virginia looks like we have a halo around us. We just dont have outbreaks of preventable childhood diseases.

Excerpt from:

Coordinated effort of educators and healthcare providers urges veto of school vaccination exemption bill - West Virginia MetroNews

AMA Update covers a range of health care topics affecting the lives of physicians, residents, medical students and patients. From private practice and health system leaders to scientists and public health officials, hear from the experts inmedicine on COVID-19, medical education, advocacy issues, burnout, vaccines and more.

Featured topic and speakers

Measles outbreak 2024: Why is measles on the rise? Can bacteria in dental plaque cause colon cancer? CDC measles update, new leading causes of death and colon cancer.

Our guest is AMA's Vice President of Science, Medicine and Public Health, Andrea Garcia, JD, MPH. American Medical Association CXO Todd Unger hosts.

Transcript

Unger: Hello and welcome to the AMA Update video and podcast. Today we have our weekly look at the headlines with the AMA's Vice President of Science, Medicine and Public Health, Andrea Garcia. I'm Todd Unger, AMA's chief experience officer. Welcome back, Andrea.

Garcia: Thanks, Todd. It's great to be here.

Unger: Well, last week we began with the measles outbreak here in Chicago and across the country. Anything changed in the last week?

Garcia: It has. Actually, here in Chicago we are up to 15 reported cases of measles. Of those additional three cases that have been reported since the last time we talked, the Chicago Department of Public Health has indicated that two of those cases were in children who are four years old or younger. Overall, cases are still rising both here in the U.S. and globally. And in response, we saw the CDC issue a health alert, or a HAN, last Monday.

And that was really urging families, schools, physicians and others to work together to ensure that children receive all recommended doses of the MMR vaccine. And then that alert also encouraged all U.S. residents who are six months and older who are traveling internationally to be current on their MMR vaccinations. And just as a reminder, children who are not traveling internationally should receive that first dose of the MMR vaccine between the ages of 12 and 15 months, and then their second dose between four to six years of age.

However, as we discussed last week, the CDC has issued that separate guidance for those who are traveling internationally. So all U.S. residents older than six months without evidence of immunity who are planning to travel internationally should receive the MMR vaccine prior to their departure. In other words, you may see some babies getting that first dose a few months ahead of the routine immunization schedule, and then these infants should receive two more doses of the MMR vaccine. The first would be administered when they are 12 to 15 months, and the second at least 28 days later. Children who are 12 months and older, teenagers, adults without evidence of immunity who are traveling internationally, should also receive two doses separated by at least 28 days. So that's a tighter window between those vaccinations.

Unger: All right, well thank you for that guidance, Andrea. Did the alert itself share any other details or provide additional context on the outbreaks?

Garcia: It did. And according to that alert, as of March 14, the CDC had recorded 58 cases across 17 states. That's the same number of cases we saw in all of 2023. And with those numbers being reported weekly, it's likely that number is higher by now.

Most cases reported this year have been among children aged 12 months and older who have not received the MMR vaccine, and 93% of the cases have been linked so far to international travel. And as we talked about last week, so many of the countries experiencing outbreaks globally are popular tourist destinationsAustria, the Philippines, Romania and the U.K.

Unger: Well, many physicians may have never treated measles. What should physicians do if they suspect a case of measles in a patient?

Garcia: Yeah, I think what makes measles tricky is that people are contagious before they even realize they have it. And as we've discussed several times before, it's extremely contagious. And that's why if you look at the CDC recommendations, you'll see they suggest in a health care setting, isolating suspected patients immediately.

Patients with suspected measles should not remain in waiting rooms or other common areas of a health care facility. Ideally, they're being placed in a single-patient airborne infection isolation room, if available, or in a private room with a closed door until an AIIR is available.

Physicians should also immediately notify state, tribal, local or territorial health departments about any suspected cases. And that's to ensure rapid testing and investigations. States then report those measles cases to the CDC.

I think physicians also should be really vigilant in contact with their state and local health department for guidance on testing given the possibility of shortages of IgM test kits.

And then, in coordination with local or state health departments, appropriate measles post-exposure prophylaxis should be given as soon as possible after that exposure to close contacts in people without evidence of immunity to help prevent spread.

Unger: Now, Andrea, I think many of us think of measles as kind of that telltale rash. But there are other symptoms to watch for. Can you give us more background on that?

Garcia: Yeah, typically it takes anywhere from one to two weeks for someone to start feeling ill after coming into contact with the virus. And then, even then, those earliest symptoms are not usually the rash. They tend to be a cough, runny nose, pink eye and a high fever. And in fact, some people may have a fever that goes above 104 degrees, which we know can be dangerous in some populations. According to the CDC, fewer than one in every 10 people with measles will also develop diarrhea.

From two to three days after those symptoms first appear, people may develop tiny white spots on the inside of their mouth. And then a day or two later, the rash develops. According to the WHO, that rash usually fades around six days.

We know measles can lead to serious complications and even be fatal, so it's really important to be proactive and to get vaccinated if you're not protected. CDC is currently working with state and local health departments to try and identify those pockets of low vaccination and to prepare those areas for potential outbreaks.

Unger: All right, well thank you so much for that update on measles. We'll certainly continue to follow that and hopefully begin to see some of those numbers coming down soon.

In more news from the CDC, the agency has launched a new resource. Andrea, tell us more about that.

Garcia: Yeah, it's actually a new monthly newsletter called the CDC Chief Medical Officer's and MMWR Clinical Pearls. As you know, the CDC chief medical officer is Dr. Debra Houry, who you've had on AMA Update before. This newsletter is being put out by her, and it provides brief summaries of recent MMWR reports and recommendations that are particularly relevant to clinical practice. It's a great way to get the highlights from the past month all in one place. Especially, we know busy physicians may not have that time to read through the more detailed MMWR. So we'll provide links in the description of this episode where physicians can go to get more information about that new newsletter and subscribe.

Unger: Excellent, that sounds great. And following up now on something else that we recently discussedcolon cancer. Last week we talked about how there could soon be a blood test that can help detect colon cancer. This week, we have more developments. Andrea, what do we need to know there?

Garcia: Yeah, so there was a study published last Wednesday in the journal Nature, and it found a new type of bacteria that was present in about 50% of colon cancers. And many were aggressive cases. We saw NBC News cover that study and report that the bacteria found is the same bacteria that causes dental plaque. It's usually only found in the mouth, where it's one of the most common types of disease-causing bacteria. It's linked to gum disease and plaque buildup. And I think while scientists have long suspected that there may be a link between the bacteria and colon cancer growth, it was really unclear how it could withstand the journey through to the gut.

And the study revealed that bacteria was a bit more complicated than they initially thought. It has two distinct subtypes, one which appears to shield colorectal tumors from cancer-fighting drugs. So it acts like a cloak and could be behind a certain treatment-resistant form of colon cancer.

According to researchers, patients who have high levels of this bacteria in their colorectal tumors have a far worse prognosis, and the subspecies may also cause cancer to form in the first place.

Unger: Wow, so much still to learn, and so many connections to be made. Andrea, what does this mean exactly?

Garcia: Well, experts say that the discovery could pave the way for new treatments, possibly as well as new methods of screening. For example, one physician said that there's evidence that if you clear these bacteria, there is more response during treatment. There will also be soon clinical trials to test whether treating a patient with antibiotics prior to chemotherapy will induce a better response.

It's also possible that scientists could identify the subspecies while it's still in the mouth and give a person antibiotics at that point, wiping it out before it can travel to the colon, or at the very least indicate that a person is at higher risk for aggressive colon cancer. So there's a lot to be hopeful for with this discovery.

Unger: Absolutely. And on another positive note, we recently learned that U.S. life expectancy rebounded a bit. Tell us more about the numbers there.

Garcia: Yeah, so there were two new studies released this past Thursday by the CDC. Life expectancy in the U.S. bounced back in 2022. It increased by about one year, from 76.4 years in 2021 to 77.5 years on average. Unfortunately, it wasn't all good news. Even though we saw that improvement, life expectancy remains below that peak of 78.9 years, which we reached in 2014. The U.S. life expectancy also lags behind other comparable countries, and we unfortunately saw the mortality rates among infants and children increase.

That final data that was compiled by the CDC shows two public health crises, the COVID pandemic and the overdose epidemic. And those are still causing far too many deaths. So COVID took roughly 186,000 lives in the U.S. in 2022, and we saw almost 108,000 fatal overdoses in 2022, largely driven by fentanyl.

The leading causes of death in the U.S. are heart disease and cancer. We did see unintentional injuries overtake COVID-19 as the third-leading cause of death. COVID-19 dropped to the fourth-leading cause of death in 2022. Researchers say that more recent provisional data is showing that trend really continuing, with those pandemic-related deaths on the decline and drug overdoses increasing in 2023 to over 110,000 fatalities.

Unger: That's a pretty distressing stat. And I know the AMA is working to reduce those numbers through its Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force. And that work is going to continue to be so important.

Andrea, that wraps up today's episode. I want to thank you for being here and keeping us all informed. For those of you who are listening out there, if you found this discussion valuable and you want more trusted public health information, please support the AMA by becoming a member at ama-assn.org/join.

We'll be back soon with another AMA Update. In the meantime, you can find all our videos and podcasts at ama-assn.org/podcasts. Thanks for joining us. Please take care.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed in this video are those of the participants and/or do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the AMA.

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New study on colon cancer bacteria, recent measles outbreak, MMR vaccine dose and U.S. life expectancy - American Medical Association

A bottle containing a measles vaccine. Joe Raedle / Getty Images/TNS

The last person who had to live inside an iron lung due to polio recently died but it didnt draw much attention even though it marked the symbolic end to a plague that haunted humanity for millennia.

The truth is that its hard for people to worry about a disease that none of us have ever seen. And that, in a nutshell, is the irony of vaccines.

When vaccines do a good job of boosting the bodys natural immune system, as they did with polio, they eliminate the underlying disease and soon we forget it ever existed. Then we stop worrying about it. Until we have to worry again.

Which is starting to happen with measles.

You and I think of measles as an annoying outbreak of childhood itchiness but it is a deadly and highly contagious disease which prior to 1963, when widespread vaccination began, killed 2 to 3 million people annually. It still kills more than 125,000 people every year, most of them under age 5 and not vaccinated, living in the developing world.

But now patients are starting to crop up in the developed world as the plague of anti-vaccine delusion keeps spreading. Dartmouth Health recently sent out a cautionary note last week urging parents to make sure their kids are up-to-date with the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine because of measles outbreaks in parts of Europe.

A note: If you were born before 1957 you might need a measles booster since protection from earlier vaccines might have faded. Measles can be very dangerous for those of us in our Golden Years, so check with your physician.

Although the U.S. hasnt seen the disease spread aside from rare outbreaks contained within religious communities that shun vaccines, measles is much more contagious than COVID-19 or flu and can spread like wildfire in a place without enough medical protection.

New Hampshire isnt exactly without medical protection but were not doing terribly well. The percentage of children entering kindergarten who are up-to-date on all their vaccines, including both doses of MMR, is at about 90% for public schools, having fallen about 2 percentage points in four years. Thats slightly below the national average.

Worse, the figure of fully protected kindergartners is a terrible 80% in private schools, where the figure has fallen a full 5 percentage points in three years. That is low enough that the vague concept of herd immunity is starting to fray.

Incidentally virtually all the New Hampshire children left vulnerable to measles are in that condition because their parents claim a religious exemption rather than a medical exemption, presumably because the medical one requires backup evidence.

Religious anti-vax sentiment puzzles me since the worlds major religions were all established long before vaccination was developed. I also cant figure out why such theological purity never keeps people from using other modern health accomplishments like, say, prescription glasses or flush toilets, but thats a topic for another day.

Unfortunately, New Hampshire isnt alone in failing to completely embrace one of the great accomplishments of the human spirit. COVID supercharged the anti-vaccine community by entangling it in the no-mandates crowd and we havent undone the damage. At the rate were going, somebody is going to liberate smallpox samples from a lab and release them into the wild because a YouTube video claimed it was OK.

Fortunately, were all vaccinated against smallpox. At least, I sure hope so.

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Granite Geek: Warning about measles as the anti-vaccine delusion spreads - Concord Monitor

Immediate action is needed to stem an unprecedented multi-year upsurge in cholera cases worldwide, according to the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision. Actions include investing in access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, testing and detecting outbreaks quickly, improving quality of and access to healthcare, and fast-tracking additional production of affordable oral cholera vaccine (OCV) doses to better prevent cases.

The ICG manages the global cholera vaccine stockpile. The group includes the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Mdecins Sans Frontires, UNICEF and WHO. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, finances the vaccine stockpile and the delivery of OCV. ICG members are calling for governments, donors, vaccine manufacturers, partners and communities to join in an urgent effort to halt and reverse the rise in cholera.

Cholera has been surging globally since 2021, with the 473000 cases reported to WHO in 2022, more than double those reported in 2021.Preliminary data for 2023 reveal further increases, with over 700000 cases reported. Several of the outbreaks have high case fatality rates, exceeding the 1% threshold used as an indicator for early and adequate treatment of cholera patients. These trends are tragic given that cholera is a preventable and treatable disease and that cases had been declining in previous years.

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through food and water contaminated with faeces containing the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The rise in cholera is being driven by persistent gaps in access to safe water and sanitation. Although efforts are being made to close these gaps in places, in many others the gaps are growing, driven by climate-related factors, economic insecurity, conflict, and population displacement.Safely managed water and sanitation are prerequisites for stopping the transmission of cholera.

Currently, the most severely impacted countries include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Now more than ever, countries must adopt a multisectoral response to fight cholera. Members of the ICG call on currently and potentially affected countries to take urgent steps to ensure their populations have access to clean water, hygiene and sanitation services, and the information critical to prevent choleras spread. The establishment of these services requires political will and investment at the country level. This includes creating capacity for early detection and response, enhanced disease detection, rapid access to treatment and care, and working closely with communities, including on risk communication and community engagement.

The severe gap in the number of available vaccine doses, compared with the level of current need, puts unprecedented pressure on the global stockpile of vaccines. Between 2021 and 2023, more doses were requested for outbreak response than the entire previous decade.

In October 2022, the ongoing vaccine shortage necessitated the ICG to recommend a single vaccine dose, down from a previous, long-standing two-dose regimen. Approximately 36 million doses were produced last year, while 14 affected countries registered a need for 72 million doses for a one-dose reactive strategy. These requests understate the true need. Preventive vaccination campaigns have had to be delayed to preserve doses for emergency outbreak control efforts, creating a vicious cycle. The change in strategy enabled available vaccines to protect more people and respond to more cholera outbreaks amid the ongoing supply shortfall, but a return to a two-dose regimen and a resumption of preventive vaccination would provide longer protection.

Global production capacity in 2024 is forecast to be 37-50 million doses but will likely continue to be inadequate to serve the needs of millions of people directly affected by cholera.Only one manufacturer, EuBiologics, currently produces the vaccine; while the company is doing its utmost to maximize output, more doses are needed. Currently, new manufacturers are not expected to join the market before 2025; they must be fast-tracked. The same urgency and innovation that we saw for COVID-19 must be applied to cholera.

Additional manufacturers planning to enter the market need to accelerate their efforts and make doses available at affordable prices.

We appeal to vaccine manufacturers, governments, donors and partners to prioritize an urgent scale-up of vaccine production, and to invest in all the efforts needed to prevent and control cholera.

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Millions at risk from cholera due to lack of clean water, soap and toilets, and shortage of cholera vaccine - World Health Organization (WHO)

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease. Yet, from the earliest days of the pandemic, the cardiovascular risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection were clear: individuals with severe cases of COVID-19 often died from cardiovascular complications, and those with pre-existing cardiovascular disease were more likely to have severe illness or die.

In short, the cardiovascular system has played a central role in COVID-19 since the beginning.

It is not surprising that as debate over COVID-19 and vaccines flared that cardiovascular disease was a central issue. Those opposed to vaccination often make claims of cardiovascular risks that exceed any benefits. But when data on COVID-19, vaccines and cardiovascular health are reviewed, the conclusions are clear: vaccines are safe and effective at reducing the cardiovascular complications that are a hallmark of COVID-19.

A new study of 20.5 million people in the United Kingdom, Spain and Estonia used electronic health records to determine how COVID-19 vaccines affect cardiovascular complications following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Roughly the same number of vaccinated and unvaccinated subjects were included, and the vaccinated group consisted of people who received at least one of the AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna or Janssen vaccines.

The study found that common cardiovascular complications of COVID-19 including blood clots, stroke, arrhythmias and heart attacks were substantially reduced in the vaccinated group, with protective effects lasting up to a year after vaccination.

While this most recent study represents one of the most comprehensive investigations into the cardiovascular benefits of COVID-19 vaccination, its findings are consistent with earlier, smaller studies.

A 2022 study of 231,037 people found two doses of COVID-19 vaccines reduced the risk of stroke and heart attack up to four months after a breakthrough infection.

A subsequent study of 1.9 million people found that while two doses of the mRNA vaccines or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine protected against major cardiovascular events following COVID-19, even a single dose of the mRNA vaccines offered some benefit in reducing the risk of cardiovascular complications.

Health-care decisions require a weighing of the risk and benefits of treatments, and for COVID-19 vaccines the low cardiovascular risks favour vaccination. A study of over four million vaccinated Australians found no increase in sudden cardiac death. Even patients with pre-existing heart failure do not have an increased risk of worsening heart failure, myocarditis, or blood clots following vaccination.

Although the safety of COVID-19 vaccines is well-established, it does not mean there are no risks. A review of 99 million individuals in the Global Vaccine Data Network confirmed earlier studies that found an increased risk of myocarditis and pericarditis, which is seen primarily in young males historically the group most at risk for myocarditis before COVID-19 emerged.

While individuals at higher risk for these complications should consult with their health-care providers in making decisions about vaccination, it should be noted that the risk for myocarditis and pericarditis is generally higher with COVID-19, even in this cohort.

Read more: Myocarditis: COVID-19 is a much bigger risk to the heart than vaccination

Studies have also found that extending the time between first and second doses of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines beyond the initially recommended three-week interval decreases the risk of myocarditis. Furthermore, post-vaccine myocarditis tends to be transient with very good recovery and is less severe than that associated with COVID-19.

The risk of myocarditis in young people has led some to claim that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines are negated when stacked up against the chance of heart inflammation. A statement from the American Heart Association confirms that the risks of cardiovascular complications in young people with more mild cases of COVID-19 (symptoms lasting less than four days) are low, but notes that there are concerning signs for those who experience more severe illness with infection.

Furthermore, other cardiovascular risks associated with infection must be considered in weighing risks and benefits. These include multisystem inflammatory syndrome or MIS-C and cardiac arrhythmias a far more common risk of COVID-19 than myocarditis.

Finally, the claim that COVID-19 is harmless in children is not true: in Canada COVID-19 is the sixth leading cause of death for children aged one to 14 years, and tenth for people 15 to 19 years old. Overall, studies find that even in young people the benefits of vaccination exceed the risks, particularly when it comes to cardiovascular disease.

There are individuals whose health conditions preclude COVID-19 vaccination, and others for whom health risks may outweigh the benefits. But, for the vast majority of people including young and otherwise healthy people COVID-19 vaccination is not only safe, but the cardiovascular protection it offers could be life-saving.

Read the rest here:

Cardiovascular risks and COVID-19: New research confirms the benefits of vaccination - The Conversation

25 March 2024

Image source, Getty Images

Public health officials have urged all pregnant women and parents of babies and young children to ensure they are vaccinated

Whooping cough cases in Wales have hit an 11-year high, following concerns about rising cases from the start of the year.

There were 122 cases reported to Public Health Wales in the week ending 18 March.

That is the highest weekly total since the end of 2012.

Public health officials have urged all pregnant women and parents of babies and young children to ensure they are vaccinated.

Whooping cough, known as pertussis, is a bacterial infection of the lungs and breathing tubes and is highly contagious.

It is spread by breathing in small droplets in the air from other people's coughs and sneezes.

In the last six weeks, cases have been reported in all but one of Wales' local authority areas, with the highest numbers in Cardiff, Bridgend, Gwynedd, Powys, Swansea and Vale of Glamorgan.

So far in 2024 there have been more cases reported than in the previous five years combined.

Christopher Williams, consultant epidemiologist in health protection for Public Health Wales, said: "Notifications of whooping cough in Wales were falling but have risen again this week, and Public Health Wales is actively monitoring the situation."

"Whooping cough has waves of increased infection every three to four years, and following reduced circulation in 2020-2022, current notifications are at levels not seen since 2012 and 2015."

The most recent figures show 95% of babies being vaccinated and 70% of pregnant women.

Cases have also been rising in London and the south east, East Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber in recent weeks.

The name comes from a "whoop" sound which some sufferers get, when they gasp for breath between coughs and coughing can last for several weeks.

People are recommended to get rest and take plenty of fluids but may be prescribed antibiotics if in the infectious early stages.

Dr Williams said the whooping cough vaccine was included in the "6-in-1 vaccine" given to babies at eight, 12 and 16 weeks, as well as a pre-school booster dose at around three years and four months.

"Since 2013 pregnant women have been offered a pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination from weeks 16-32 of pregnancy, to protect newborn babies before they receive their 6 in 1 vaccine," he said.

"We would urge all pregnant women and parents of babies and young children to ensure they take up their offer of vaccination when given, or to ask their GP, midwife or health visitor if they believe they may not have had it."

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Vaccination plea as whooping cough cases reach 11-year high - BBC.com

WATCH: City of York Bureau of Health discusses vaccine program live

by Alexa Southard

CBS 21 sits down with the City of York's Bureau of Health to discuss vaccines live (WHP){p}{/p}

YORK, Pa.

CBS 21 sat down to discuss vaccinations live with the City of York's Bureau of Health Friday.

The city has seen a dip in vaccinations, especially among school-aged children.

Kim Wentz, the Immunization Program Coordinator, and Ann Perkins, the Head School Nurse for York City School District, both talked with CBS 21's Sarah Burns about what's available, and to who.

The city offers vaccines to prevent over 20 life-threatening diseases, helping all ages live longer, healthier lives.

Some of those diseases being diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza, and measles.

To learn more about the initiative, click here.

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WATCH: City of York Bureau of Health discusses vaccine program live - WHP Harrisburg