Category: Vaccine

(Precision Vaccinations News)

A new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate, MTBVAC, has started clinical trials in India. This vaccine is the first live attenuated vaccine of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from a human.

Bharat Biotech is conducting the clinical trials in collaboration with Biofabri, S.L.U, the vaccine's owner.The phase 3 clinical trials of the vaccine were announced on March 23, 2024, and plan to start in 2025.

The MTBVAC vaccine has passed several milestones before entering clinical trials in India.

This is a significant development since India has a high incidence of TB cases.

Esteban Rodriguez, CEO of Biofabri, commented in a press release, "It is a giant step to test in adults and adolescents in the country where 28% of the world's TB cases accumulate."

"It should be remembered that the only vaccine in use today, Bacillus Calmette and Gurin (BCG), is an attenuated variant of the bovine TB pathogen. It has a very limited effect on pulmonary tuberculosis, which is responsible for transmitting the (respiratory) disease."

Unlike BCG, which lacks over 100 genes compared to the human pathogen,MTBVAC contains the complete set of antigenic targets of the original pathogen.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of people who fell ill withTBin 2021 was 4.5% higher than in 2020, with 10.6 million people diagnosed.

In 2023, India reported over 2.2 millionTB cases.

Biofabri is part of the Zendal Group, a Spanish pharmaceutical company specializing in human and animal health.

More here:

Enhanced Tuberculosis Vaccine Candidate Launches Phase 3 Study In India - Precision Vaccinations

A Louisiana State University (LSU) researcher has developed a new vaccine against bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and related illnesses that kill approximately 8 million calves each year and cost the U.S. cattle industry more than US$1 billion.

Most cattle producers now use a commercially available modified live BRD vaccine containing several live viruses (a cocktail) to protect their herds. Still, the diseases kill more than one out of every five calves.

Our vaccine is safer for calves and far more effective than the vaccine cocktail, said Shafiqul Chowdhury, a professor of veterinary medicine.

Chowdhury took bovine herpes virus type 1 (BHV-1) and genetically modified it to provide the protective proteins of other bovine respiratory viruses bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) type 1 and 2, and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) to prevent bovine respiratory disease.

LSU Vice President of Research and Economic Development Robert Twilley said research that leads to new tools like Chowdhurys vaccine is one of the pillars of LSUs Scholarship First Agenda, which advances agriculture, biomedicine, coastal protection, defense and energy.

Global population growth and environmental changes mean we must increase the amount of food we produce, Twilley said. This LSU-developed vaccine will help protect the worlds food supply and improve outcomes for cattle producers in Louisiana and nationwide.

Chowdhury said the calf mortality rate in vaccinated animals is just one area where the current vaccine cocktail falls short.

The United States does not require marker or DIVA (differentiating infected from vaccinated animals) vaccines, which can be distinguished from the virulent field viruses. The current vaccine cocktail is not a DIVA/marker vaccine. Vaccine viruses can therefore circulate and be maintained in the cattle population. They may change over time and regain the ability to cause disease.

Cattle producers have also reported spontaneous abortions and bovine respiratory disease in vaccinated animals. Variants of the live vaccine viruses are thought to be the cause. The lack of markers in the vaccine cocktail makes it impossible to distinguish the vaccine viruses from the disease-causing viruses.

With Chowdhurys vaccine, there is no chance for the vaccine virus to spread and circulate in the cattle population, he said.

Chowdhurys vaccine offers other advantages:

Its cost-effective. It uses one virus, genetically engineered BHV-1, which grows well in cell culture. In the commercial cocktail vaccine, individual viruses are grown separately and then mixed. Each vaccine batch requires extensive quality control. BRSV, the virus, grows poorly in cell culture with a meager yield.

It does not cause abortion, a potential outcome among cows that reach adulthood after being given the commercial vaccine cocktail.

Chowdhury has applied for a patent for the vaccine, with the help of the Office of Innovation and Technology Commercialization, part of the LSU Office of Innovation and Ecosystem Development. Chowdhury has already been awarded several U.S. and international patents. He has several additional patents pending.

Dr. Chowdhurys vaccines could be a game changer for the cattle industry, and we couldnt be more excited to support this kind of groundbreaking research, Twilley said.

Original post:

Vaccine could save US cattle industry $1 billion annually - FeedStrategy.com

Hoffman is president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Ehrenfeld is president of the American Medical Association.

Online misinformation about vaccines harm patients, undermines trust in science, and places additional burdens on our healthcare system through reduced vaccine uptake. All in all, it is a barrier to protecting public health.

As physicians, we see the damages caused by vaccine misinformation firsthand, and we welcome conversations with our patients about vaccine safety and efficacy. However, the widespread proliferation of misinformation and disinformation has triggered higher levels of vaccine hesitancy and refusal, allowing a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles that we had nearly eradicated.

Preventing the spread of vaccine misinformation without infringing on free speech protections in the First Amendment is a thorny legal issue that is at the heart of a landmark case now before the U.S. Supreme Court, Murthy et al. v. Missouri et al. The nation's leading healthcare organizations, including ours (the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association) and others -- and the hundreds of thousands of physicians across the country who we represent -- believe that vaccine misinformation poses a grave threat to public health. As outlined in an amicus brief we filed in this case, we seek to partner with the federal government to advance factual information.

In Murthy v. Missouri, plaintiffs including the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana argue that several federal agencies and the Biden administration engaged in censorship during the pandemic by urging private social media companies to stop the spread of discredited medical falsehoods from their platforms to save lives. Oral arguments took place last week, and a ruling is expected this summer.

At stake in this case is what tools the government and public health agencies have at their disposal to combat medical misinformation. Without getting into the legal arguments on both sides, one thing is clear: to strip away government power to raise the alarm about patently false information on life-saving vaccines -- when illness and lives hang in the balance -- would be a devastating outcome.

Vaccines have long been one of the safest and most powerful tools in protecting public health. Vaccines save lives by not only protecting vaccinated individuals against infection and reducing the burden of unnecessary hospitalization on our healthcare system, but also by helping prevent the spread of disease.

Medical misinformation that promotes non-scientifically validated remedies can and often does result in harm. Both the FDA and CDC warned of serious adverse effects from people taking ivermectin, an anti-parasitic, to prevent or treat COVID-19, even after numerous studies showed it was entirely ineffective against the virus.

Similarly, one recent study estimated that nearly 17,000 deaths occurred across six nations during the first COVID wave after people took hydroxychloroquine, an antimalaria agent that was wrongly promoted to treat and prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although that was a time of crisis, drug repurposing with low-level evidence can be extremely hazardous and even deadly.

Stopping the spread of medical misinformation is an enormous task, and we cannot expect any single entity to accomplish this challenge. Those of us who have taken an oath to protect the health and well-being of patients share the responsibility to separate fact from fiction.

Anything less than a comprehensive effort to prevent the dissemination of medical misinformation -- using the powers of the federal government, public health agencies, healthcare organizations, social media companies and media outlets, and even individual physicians -- abdicates our responsibility and needlessly puts the health of our communities, and our nation, at risk.

Benjamin D. Hoffman, MD, is president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, is president of the American Medical Association.

Read the original:

Opinion | Medical Misinfo Runs Rampant Online. The Gov't Must Retain the Right to Intervene. - Medpage Today

Once considered eliminated in the U.S. because of wide vaccine availability, measles cases are climbing. By mid-March, the case count for 2024 was higher than last years total, at 64 with the possibility of more to come, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were 58 U.S. cases in all of 2023.

In 2024, measles has been reported in 17 states, coast to coast: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington.

Recent totals, though, are still far below the yearlong outbreak in 2019 that saw a total of 1,274 confirmed cases across 31 states.

The CDC issued a health advisory on March 18. Ensure children in the United States and those traveling internationally 6 months and older are current on MMR vaccination, it read, noting an increase both in the U.S. and globally.

The measles (rubeola) virus is extremely contagious, with a 90% chance that someone who has no protection from vaccination will get it if exposed. One person infected with measles can infect 9 out of 10 unvaccinated individuals with whom they come in contact, the warning said. It further noted high population immunity against measles in most U.S. communities, which should keep spread low. However, pockets of low coverage leave some communities at higher risk for outbreaks.

Prior to vaccine availability, the CDC reported that as many as 4 million people were infected annually. Also each year, among reported cases, an estimated 400 to 500 people died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and 1,000 suffered encephalitis (swelling of the brain) from measles.

Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000 a designation that didnt mean no cases of the virus, but rather absence of continuous disease transmission for greater than 12 months, per the CDC.

Measles can be dangerous, particularly for babies and young children, beyond the usual symptoms of high fever, cough, runny nose and red, itchy eyes. Those symptoms may not begin to appear for a week or more after exposure, then are followed a couple of days later with what are called Koplik spots, which are little white spots in the mouth that may hurt. A day or two later, the hallmark measles rash shows up, typically starting at the hairline and then heading downward.

Among those who were not vaccinated and who get measles, about 1 in 5 end up hospitalized. Among young children, 1 in 20 develop pneumonia, which accounts for the most deaths among young children.

Complications, per the CDC, are more often seen in kids younger than 5, adults older than 20, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems. Common complications include ear infections and diarrhea. Severe complications include pneumonia and encephalitis. Children can lose their hearing or develop intellectual disability. They may need to be hospitalized and could die, the CDC reports. Unvaccinated pregnant women may deliver prematurely or have a low birth-weight baby and challenges related to that.

A long-term complication called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis can also develop. Though very rare, its fatal. The condition develops around seven to 10 years after someone has apparently recovered completely from measles.

The CDC advisory said that the vaccination rate among U.S. kindergarten students has decreased from 95.2% in the 2019-2020 school year to 93.1% in the 2022-2023 school year, which is below the 95% herd immunity protection rate, leaving close to a quarter-million kindergartners at risk of contracting measles. The advisory said that 36 states and the District of Columbia had less than 95% of kindergarteners vaccinated last year. Of those, 10 states said more than 5% had medical or nonmedical exemptions, highlighting the importance of targeted efforts that increase vaccine confidence and access.

The notice continued, Getting MMR vaccine is much safer than getting measles, mumps or rubella.

There are exceptions. As The New York Times reported, Doctors may recommend against vaccination for certain people with compromised immune systems, like those undergoing chemotherapy.

Parents who are concerned about vaccine safety ought to talk to a doctor they trust, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, told the Times. But he acknowledged that vaccine hesitancy is real and overcoming it is an uphill battle.

Given the impact on vaccine confidence that weve seen after COVID and during COVID, he said, I think we have to just keep that drumbeat going.

During the 2019 outbreak, Rich Lakin, immunization program manager in the Utah Department of Health, told the Deseret News that for years the U.S. didnt see measles cases, but now we see them all the time. And theres a strong correlation between the increase in exemptions and measles outbreaks.

Concerned by the rapid rise in nonmedical exemptions to vaccination, the American Academy of Pediatrics lobbied to eliminate them. As the Deseret News reported at the time, Nonmedical exemptions include those based on religious or personal beliefs about vaccinations, for example.

Originally posted here:

Do people still get measles? Is the measles vaccine effective? - Deseret News

EAST CHICAGO The East Chicago Health Department is investigating a potential mass exposure to a confirmed case of measles after an out-of-state resident recently visited an East Chicago church while infectious with the disease.

Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air in respiratory droplets produced by breathing, coughing and sneezing.

Measles symptoms, which typically begin with a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red watery eyes, generally appear about seven to 14 days after a person is infected, but can occur up to 21 days after exposure.

Any person who develops measles symptoms, especially a prominent rash on the face and neck, should seek medical attention immediately.

Most people are vaccinated against measles during childhood. The health department recommends anyone who has not been vaccinated to get the MMR vaccine as soon as possible.

In addition, individuals who may have been exposed to measles who are immunocompromised, pregnant, or unable to be vaccinated due to age or underlying health conditions are urged to call the East Chicago Health Department at 219-391-8467 to talk about next steps based on documented immunity and level of exposure.

First Physician

Location: 2985 W. 73rd Place, Merrillville

Erected by Woman's Auxiliary, Lake County Medical Society

Henry D. Palmer, M.D. (1809-1877) located at this site in 1836. First physician in Lake County, he was also counselor to the pioneers for 40 years and member of the underground railroad aiding escaped slaves.

Great Sauk (Sac) Trail

Location: Van Buren Street at West 73rd Avenue (Old U.S. 30/Lincoln Highway) on traffic median east of Calumet Cemetery and west of Broadway, Merrillville

Erected by Indiana Sesquicentennial Commission, 1966

Part of a transcontinental trail used by prehistoric peoples of North America, it passed through modern Detroit, Rock Island and Davenport in the Midwest. The trail was important into the 19th century.

St. John's Lutheran Church Tolleston

Location: 2235 W. 10th Avenue at Taft Avenue, southeast corner, Gary

St. John's Church, the oldest surviving institution in Gary and north of the Little Calumet River, began with the work of the Rev. Henry Wunder in the early 1860's. He regularly came from Chicago by horse and buggy. Baptism records date from 1863; the first church was built on this site in 1868 or 1869; 1870 is celebrated as date of organization. The church served German immigrants to Tolleston (named for George Tolle who came in 1856). Tolleston was annexed to Gary in 1910.

Dutch in the Calumet Region

Location: 8941 Kleinman Road, Highland

Erected 1992 Indiana Historical Bureau and Lamprecht Florist & Greenhouse, established 1923

Dutch immigrants after 1850 began moving to this area because of its similarities to their homeland. They helped to locate ditches to drain water from the extensive marshes, leaving rich land to expand successful horticultural activities.

St. John Township School, District #2

Location: 1515 Joliet Street (Old U.S. 30/Lincoln Highway), east of St. John Road at the St. John Township Community Center, Schererville

Erected 1995 Indiana Historical Bureau and Committee to Save Township School #2

Built, 1853, approximately one half mile south; closed, 1907; moved to this site and restored for educational and community uses, 1993-1994. One of twelve St. John Township schools; structure typical of early one-room school buildings in Indiana.

The Lincoln Highway/The Ideal Section

Location: Southeast corner U.S. 30 (Joliet Street) and Janice Drive, Schererville

Erected 1996 Indiana Historical Bureau, Northwest Indiana Lincoln Highway Association, Dyer and Schererville Historical Societies, Sand Ridge Bank, Welsh, Inc.

United States' first transcontinental highway, constructed 1913-1928, from New York City to San Francisco. Dedicated to the memory of Abraham Lincoln. Conceived by Carl G. Fisher to encourage building "good roads." Sponsored by Lincoln Highway Association and supported by automotive industries.

"Ideal Section" - 1.5 miles - of Lincoln Highway, completed 1923, designed and built as a model for road construction. Funded by county, state, and U.S. Rubber Co. Features included 100 foot right-of-way, 40 foot paved width, 10 inch steel-reinforced concrete, underground drainage, lighted, landscaped, bridge, and pedestrian pathways.

Froebel School - side 1

Location: 15th Avenue and Madison Street, Gary

Installed 2014 Indiana Historical Bureau, Froebel Alumni Park Committee, and Northern Indiana Public Service Company

Froebel opened here, 1912, as many European immigrants and southern blacks moved to Gary for jobs in steel mills. An experiment in progressive education, it served students of diverse backgrounds and the local community. Despite early status as integrated school, black students were excluded from many extracurricular activities and facilities into 1940s. Closed 1977.

Continued

Froebel School

Location: 15th Avenue and Madison Street, Gary

Installed 2014 Indiana Historical Bureau, Froebel Alumni Park Committee, and Northern Indiana Public Service Company

After WWII, Froebel made national headlines when hundreds of white students walked out protesting "integration experiment" there. "Hate strikes" lasted several weeks in 1945 and reflected growing racial tension in North. In 1946, Gary school board adopted desegregation policy, but discrimination continued. Indiana state law desegregating public schools passed 1949.

Stewart Settlement House

Location: 1501 E. Massachusetts St., Gary

Installed 2014 Indiana Historical Bureau, Indiana Landmarks, and Christ United Methodist Church

Stewart House was organized during depression of 1921 to provide social services for Garys black community. A vital neighborhood center for unemployed WWI veterans and southern blacks who migrated for jobs in steel mills, it helped thousands adjust to urban life. Services included lodging and meals, as well as legal, medical, and employment advice. Moved here, 1925.

Stewart Settlement House

Location: 1501 E. Massachusetts St., Gary

Installed 2014 Indiana Historical Bureau, Indiana Landmarks, and Christ United Methodist Church

U.S. Steel, with an interest in regulating its workers, helped fund the settlement house, designed by architect W.W. Cooke. The Methodist Episcopal Church and Garys blacks also donated funds. Rev. Frank Delaney guided its development as superintendent, 1920-1939, and made it a source of pride for blacks. During Great Depression, it aided hundreds daily. Closed 1970s.

Origin of Dr. MLK Day Law

Location: 1927 Madison St., Gary

Installed 2019 Indiana Historical Bureau, KHEF, Inc., Atty. Junifer Hall, Atty. Jacqueline Hall, and Law Office of Deacon-Atty. John Henry Hall

Rep. Katie Hall (1938-2012)

Democratic leader Katie Hall was born in rural Mississippi and moved to Indiana in 1960. She taught in Gary before serving in the Indiana General Assembly, 1974-82. Hall became the first African American U.S. Representative from Indiana, serving 1982-85. During her tenure, she authored and sponsored the bill that made Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day a federal holiday.

Origin of Dr. MLK Day Law

Location: 1927 Madison St., Gary

Installed 2019 Indiana Historical Bureau, KHEF, Inc., Atty. Junifer Hall, Atty. Jacqueline Hall, and Law Office of Deacon-Atty. John Henry Hall

Origin of Dr. MLK Day Law

The struggle to make Dr. Kings birthday a federal holiday began soon after the civil rights leaders death in 1968. Growing interest, publicity, and advocacy helped Representative Hall secure passage of a bill in 1983. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law that November, designating every third Monday in January as the holiday. Celebration began in 1986.

Bailly Homestead

Location: Bailly Cemetery, U.S. 12

Marker no longer standing.

Home of Joseph Bailly, a French Canadian, who established a fur trading post here on the Detroit-Chicago road in 1822. It became a center of trade, culture and religion. The family cemetery is on the land near by.

Iron Brigade

Location: Eastbound U.S. 20 at southeast corner of Ind. 49 overpass, Chesterton

Erected 1995 Indiana Historical Bureau, Porter Co. Tour. Com., Indpls. Civil War Rnd. Tbl., Porter Cmp. 116, Dept. of Ind., Sons of Un. Vets. of Civil War

Composed of infantry regiments from Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan, the Iron Brigade fought with Army of the Potomac during the Civil War (1861-1865). Received name for valor at battle of South Mountain, Maryland (1862). Sustained combat fatalities among the highest in the Union armies.

Willow Creek Confrontation

Location: Southeast corner of Woodland Park, 2100 Willow Creek Road, Portage

Erected 1995 Indiana Historical Bureau

As railroad lines expanded through U.S., conflict occurred between competing lines. Michigan Central Railroad, with track in Porter County since 1851, briefly defied state militia and court orders (1874) to allow Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to cross its track. Crossing was built at Willow Creek Station.

Ogden Dunes Ski Jump

Location: Kratz Field, 82 Hillcrest Road at Boat Club Road, Ogden Dunes

Erected 1997 Indiana Historical Bureau and Historical Society of Ogden Dunes.

Steel and wood ski jump with adjustable height and length was built here for Ogden Dunes Ski Club, incorporated in 1927 to promote winter sports. Five annual events with international competitors were held 1928-1932, with 7, 000 to 20, 000 spectators. Reputed to be the largest artificial ski jump at the time. Dismantled after 1932 event.

Edwin Way Teale

Location: 285 E. U.S. Highway 20, Chesterton

Installed: 2009 Indiana Historical Bureau and Musette Lewry Trust

Born 1899 in Illinois, Teale became an influential naturalist, author, and photographer[ who won 1966 Pulitzer Prize for his book Wandering Through Winter. Teale wrote that boyhood summers and holidays spent near here at his grandparents farm inspired his interest in nature. Teale moved to New York City; employed by Popular Science Monthly 1928-1941.

Edwin Way Teale

Location: 285 E. U.S. Highway 20, Chesterton

Installed: 2009 Indiana Historical Bureau and Musette Lewry Trust

Teale published his first critically acclaimed book, Grassroot Jungles, in 1937. In 1943, he published Dune Boy, recollections of time spent exploring the dunes and woodlands in this area. During his life, he wrote, edited, and contributed to over 30 books, which educated Americans about natures importance and beauty. He died in Connecticut in 1980.

Legacy of Steel/Burns Harbor Steel Plant

Location: Burns Harbor Town Hall, 1240 N. Boo Rd., Burns Harbor

Installed 2018 Indiana Historical Bureau, ArcelorMittal, and the Town of Burns Harbor

In the early 1900s, steel plants were developed on southern Lake Michigan to improve access to growing Midwest markets. After purchasing 3,300 acres in Porter County, Bethlehem Steel built and began its Burns Harbor operations in 1964. The plants development spurred local conservation efforts leading to the creation of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in 1966.

Legacy of Steel/Burns Harbor Steel Plant

Location: Burns Harbor Town Hall, 1240 N. Boo Rd., Burns Harbor

Installed 2018 Indiana Historical Bureau, ArcelorMittal, and the Town of Burns Harbor

The Burns Harbor plant was key to building the Port of Indiana and incorporation of the Town of Burns Harbor in 1967. Designed as a fully integrated plant, it relies on the port for transporting raw materials. Since 1969, Burns Harbor remains the newest integrated U.S. steel facility. Global steelmaker ArcelorMittal gained ownership of the Burns Harbor plant in 2007.

Civil War Camps

Location: Ind. 2 W and Colfax Avenue, La Porte

Erected by the Indiana Civil War Centennial Commission, 1963

Two Civil War training camps: Colfax and Jackson, were located near La Porte. The 9th and 29th Indiana Volunteer Infantry regiments were organized and trained here.

Old Lighthouse

Location: Old Lighthouse Museum in Washington Park, Michigan City

Marker no longer standing. Replaced by local marker.

Built on the waters edge, 1858, by the United States Government. One of the first lights on the Great Lakes. Harriet E. Colfax was the tender from 1853-1903. Remodelled 1904, electrified 1933, discontinued 1960.

Chicago-New York Electric Air Line Railroad

Location: CR 250 and Ind. 39, south LaPorte

Erected 1995 Indiana Historical Bureau.

Read the original post:

Vaccination urged following measles exposure at East Chicago church - The Times of Northwest Indiana

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By studying individuals who spontaneously clear hepatitis C infections, a team of researchers has identified viable vaccine targets for a disease that infects 70 million worldwide with case numbers increasing every year.

It turns out that a quarter of people who become infected with the hepatitis C virus clear the infection on their own without treatment, while the remaining three-quarters of people develop chronic infections that can last for years. The blood-borne diseasewhich causes liver cirrhosis, liver failure and liver canceris especially prevalent among people who inject drugs.

Direct-acting antivirals developed around a decade ago are 98% effective. But even so, the number of hepatitis C cases has increased year-over-year mainly because early infections are hard to detect, access to treatment is limited and reinfections occur even after treatment.

"That's why there is now a big interest in developing a hepatitis C vaccine," said Andrew Flyak, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology in the College of Veterinary Medicine and co-corresponding author of the study, "Convergent Evolution and Targeting of Diverse E2 Epitopes by Human Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies are Associated with HCV Clearance," published in the journal Immunity. Justin Bailey, associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, is co-corresponding author.

"Our study gives us a glimpse into how certain individuals clear a highly variable infection, and we believe this information can inform a vaccine development," Flyak said.

The study was made possible due to the unique access that Bailey had to samples from people who injected drugs and were at risk of acquiring the virus. This allowed the researchers to track individuals who were hepatitis C negative when they enrolled in the program, and to see upon subsequent clinic visits whether that person acquired the virus. Bailey obtained samples from individuals who cleared the infection on their own and those who developed chronic infection.

Viruses that evolve very rapidly, such as SARS-CoV-2, influenza and hepatitis C, have extraordinary genetic diversity with multiple strains. Combating these types of infections requires special antibodies (blood proteins that recognize pathogens and neutralize them) called broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), which can neutralize diverse viral variants.

In previous studies, researchers isolated bNAbs from people who were chronically infected with hepatitis C virus. They found that their bNAbs were using a single antibody gene to encode a variable part of the antibody molecule.

"In order to make an antibody, immune systems use multiple sets of different antibody genes, but for whatever reason the immune systems in people with chronic hepatitis C infections used just one variable antibody gene, called VH1-69," Flyak said. Also, most of the bNAbs from these chronically infected donors targeted a specific region of the hepatitis C virus, namely the front layer of the so-called E2 protein. The immune system in chronically infected individuals has failed to clear the virus.

In the current study, the researchers isolated bNAbs from one person who spontaneously cleared three separate infections. This individual's bNAbs revealed important distinctions. First, these bNAbs were genetically diverse, meaning they are encoded by a variety of variable genes, and not just one segment of the VH1-69 gene. Second, bNAbs from this individual targeted three different regions of the virus's E2 protein, the front layer, as well as a back layer and a b-sandwich.

The data suggests that a hepatitis C virus vaccine should elicit bNAbs to all three regions of the E2 protein rather than just one region of the virus, Flyak said.

"If you have a response to multiple regions, you can have a synergistic effect, you get a response that is much stronger than the sum of its parts," he said.

BNAbs from the individual who cleared the infections also revealed evidence of what is called convergent evolution, where different bNAbs have the same mutations but come from different antibody variable genes. "You see the same mutations in two different broadly neutralizing antibodiesit means those mutations are important," Flyak saidand they increase the breadth of the antibody response to hepatitis C virus.

Members of Flyak's lab used X-ray crystallography to solve the crystal structures of bNAbs in complex with hepatitis C virus's E2 protein and show how bNAb's mutations interact with the E2 protein. "That information can be used to design better vaccine candidates," Flyak said.

In next steps, the team will collaborate with a larger international group to screen multiple vaccine candidates in animals and eventually identify which ones to bring into human clinical trials.

Clinton Ogega, a former graduate student in Bailey's lab, is the paper's first author. Two postdoctoral fellows in Flyak's lab, Marty Schoenle and Xander Wilcox, contributed to the study.

More information: Clinton O. Ogega et al, Convergent evolution and targeting of diverse E2 epitopes by human broadly neutralizing antibodies are associated with HCV clearance, Immunity (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2024.03.001

Journal information: Immunity

Here is the original post:

Insights from patient who cleared hepatitis C could lead to vaccine - Medical Xpress

A recent study revealed that COVID-19 vaccines reduce the likelihood of heart failure (HF) by as much as 55% and blood clot formation by up to 78% after COVID-19 infection.

COVID-19 vaccine | Image credit: Leigh Prather stock.adobe.com

Published in BMJ Heart, the study found that COVID-19 vaccination was associated with reduced risks of acute (30-day) HF by 55%, venous thromboembolism (VTE) by 78%, and arterial thrombosis/thromboembolism (ATE) by 47%. These reduced risks are in comparison with patients who were not vaccinated against COVID-19.

In line with previous studies, our findings suggest a potential benefit of vaccination in reducing the risk of postCOVID-19 thromboembolic and cardiac complications, the researchers said.

The staggered cohort study included a total of 10.17 million vaccinated and 10.39 million unvaccinated individuals from the United Kingdom, Spain, and Estonia. Subdistribution hazard ratios (sHRs) were estimated using Fine-Gray models, and random-effect meta-analyses were conducted across staggered cohorts and databases.

Looking forward to the postacute phases31 to 90 days, 91 to 180 days, and 181 to 365 days post COVID-19 infectionHF and VTE both saw slight dips in reduced risks at 180 days, which went back up slightly at the 365-day mark. Reduced risks remained notable.

For HF, a 39% reduced risk persisted at 90 days and 180 days, which then went back up to a 48% reduced risk at 1 year after COVID-19 infection. For VTE in the postacute phase, patients had a 57% reduced risk at 90 days, dropping to 47% at 180 days, with a slight uptick to a 50% reduced risk at 1 year.

The researchers saw a slightly different trend with ATE. After dropping from a 47% 30-day risk to a 26% 90-day risk, the postacute reduced risk associated with COVID-19 vaccination increased to 28% at 180 days, increasing to a 38% reduced risk at 1 year post infection.

The researchers included postCOVID-19 outcome events based on previous research. Among these were myocarditis/pericarditis (MP), ventricular arrhythmia/cardiac arrest (VACA), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), ischemic stroke (IS), and myocardial infarction (MI). All of these saw reduced risks in the 30-day acute phase for vaccinated individuals.

Compared with unvaccinated individuals, meta-analytic estimates in the acute phase showed sHRs of:

The study has limitations inherent to real-world data, such as data quality issues and potential confounding factors. Despite using advanced methods like large-scale propensity score weighting and calibration, the researchers said there may have still been residual bias. Under-reporting of postCOVID-19 complicationsparticularly in primary care databases without hospital linkagecould also affect the accuracy of outcomes, but results from databases including secondary care data showed similar trends. Additionally, the study included a small number of young men and male teenagers, a population of interest due to concerns about increased risks of myocarditis/pericarditis following vaccination.

Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 substantially reduced the risk of acute post-COVID-19 thromboembolic and cardiac complications, probably through a reduction in the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the severity of COVID-19 disease due to vaccine-induced immunity, the researchers concluded. Findings from this study highlight yet another benefit of COVID-19 vaccination. However, further research is needed on the possible waning of the risk reduction over time and on the impact of booster vaccination.

Reference

Mercad-Besora N, Li X, Kolde R, et al. The role of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing post-COVID-19 thromboembolic and cardiovascular complications.Heart. Published online March 12, 2024. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2023-323483

Excerpt from:

Study Says COVID-19 Vaccines Can Reduce Risk of Heart Failure, Blood Clots Following Infection - AJMC.com Managed Markets Network

After an incarcerated person tested positive for hepatitis A virus (HAV), a Los Angeles County jail system initiated a rapid response that helped minimize the risk for transmission and prevent an HAV outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

In May 2023, an incarcerated person tasked with food preparation in the jail tested positive for acute HAV. Within 48 hours of being notified about the infection, the Los Angeles Countys Correctional Health Services identified the more than 2,700 individuals who had been in the jail during the roughly three-week infectious period, who were offered postexposure prophylactic HAV.

HAV is spread from one person to another when fecal matter from someone with HAV gets into another persons mouth. Even trace amounts of fecesthat are too hard to see can cause an infection.Whats more, risk for HAV transmission in congregant housing like correctional institutions is high because of the high rate of injection drug use among incarcerated individuals.

The prompt vaccine rollout likely helpedreduce transmission and prevent an outbreak among the LA County Jail population, and the enhanced surveillance, which included the monitoring of emergency hospital transfers made because of suspicion of acute hepatitis A, helped identify possible secondary cases or clusters needing further investigation,wrote Nazia Qureshi, MPH,of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, and coauthors in the report.

The 41-year-old incarcerated man with HAV had a history of homelessness, drug injection use and alcohol use disorder. On May 25, he sought care for vomiting and received antacids. The report said he felt better but returned to an urgent care facility three days later due to a lack of appetite, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. He also had jaundice, a condition that causes yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes because the liver cant efficiently process red blood cells as they break down.

Correctional Health Services determined the patients infectious period and identified 5,830 people who had been housed in the jail during that time and offered HAV vaccination to 2,766 people who were not vaccinated. More than half (1,510) accepted and received vaccination.

No additional cases have been reported or identified since October 2023, according to Morbidty and Mortality Weekly Report.

To read more, click #Hepatitis A or Heps Health Basics on Hepatitis A. It reads in part:

HAV is spread from one person to another when fecal matter from someone with HAV gets into another persons mouth. Even trace amounts of fecesthat are too hard to see can cause an infection.This can happen in a number of ways:

Hepatitis A is an acute form of hepatitis, meaning that it does not cause long-term (chronic) infection. If you have had hepatitis A once, you cannot be infected with the virus again. However, you can still be infected with other hepatitis viruses, such as hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus.

The best way to prevent hepatitis A is to be vaccinated with one of two HAV vaccines: Havrix and Vaqta. Both vaccines require two injections, usually administered six months apart. A combination vaccine for HAV and hepatitis B virus (Twinrix) is also available.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendsroutine hepatitis A vaccination for:

Hepatitis A vaccination is specifically recommended for:

The hepatitis A vaccine is very effective. More than 99% t of people who are vaccinated develop immunity against the virus and will never get hep A even if exposed to it.

See more here:

Rapid Vaccine Rollout Prevented a Hepatitis A Outbreak at LA County Jail - Hep Treatment News

Chicago health officials announced Monday that residents at a Pilsen migrant shelter should receive a second dose of the measles vaccine 28 days after the first shot.

The Chicago Department of Public Health said the new policy was necessary because of the continued increase in measles cases among young children at the Halsted Street shelter. The second dose will help protect preschool children until their immunity to measles is fully developed and will also help stop the spread to other children who haven't received a second dose of the shot.

The city has reported 26 measles cases, 19 of which have been in children under 5. Most of the cases have been associated with the Pilsen migrant shelter.

While the MMR vaccine is the best protection against the virus, children are at highest risk for contracting breakthrough measles after receiving one dose of the vaccine, especially those less than 5 years old," said CDPH commissioner Olusimbo Ige. "Were seeing some of these cases at the Halsted shelter, which isnt surprising. I understand this will be a challenge for families, but we want to do everything to protect young children from contracting measles by ensuring 2 doses of the MMR vaccine.

The policy was also extended to include children between 1 and 5 years old, health officials said.

Families at the shelter with children between 1 and 5 are asked to keep them home until 21 days after receiving the second dose of the vaccine or 21 days after last exposure if they cannot be vaccinated.

The new policy will affect about 50 children at the shelter, health officials said. All eligible children have already received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Initial symptoms such as high fever, cough, runny nose and red or watery eyes usually appear within a week or two of exposure to the virus, according to the CDC. A rash can appear three to five days after initial symptoms begin.

The "highly infectious" virus is spread through coughing, sneezing or contact with an infected person, and the virus can live for up to two hours in the air after an infected person has left a space, according to the CDC. Those with the virus can spread it up to four days before and after a rash appears, and 90% of people without immunity who are exposed to the virus become infected.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention team has been assisting the city in responding to the infections.

Read the original here:

Chicago health officials announce new policy to slow measles outbreak - Chicago Sun-Times

Altamira Therapeutics Ltd

HAMILTON, BERMUDA, March 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Altamira Therapeutics Ltd. (Altamira or the Company) (Nasdaq:CYTO), a company providing nanoparticle-based technology for efficient RNA delivery to extrahepatic targets, today announced that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with Univercells Group (Univercells) to evaluate the use of the Companys proprietary SemaPhore platform for the delivery of mRNA vaccines. Univercells is a global life sciences company creating platforms for developing and manufacturing biologics, including mRNA vaccines and therapeutics, in a simple, scalable and cost-efficient way.

Under the terms of the agreement, Univercells will test in vitro and in vivo a proprietary mRNA vaccine delivered with Altamiras SemaPhore nanoparticle platform. Should the experiments prove successful, Univercells and Altamira intend to discuss and negotiate a commercial agreement for the development and manufacturing of nanoparticle-based mRNA vaccines using Univercells production platform.

We are thrilled to initiate this collaboration with Univercells to explore SemaPhore as a delivery vehicle for mRNA vaccines, commented Covadonga Paeda, PhD, Altamiras Chief Operating Officer. SemaPhore has shown to be an efficient delivery vehicle for therapeutic RNA in many different disease models. With this collaboration we will explore for the first time its potential utility in delivering mRNA vaccines. Current delivery vehicles used in the field of mRNA vaccines suffer from significant rates of mRNA loss during cell entrance; in addition, they may cause local or systemic side effects. SemaPhore reduces mRNA loss during cell entrance, which may allow for using lower doses. This feature, together with its favorable tolerability profile could make SemaPhore a compelling alternative to conventional delivery vehicles.

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Were delighted to be partnering with Altamira to explore better ways to deliver mRNA to patients, said Jos Castillo, PhD, Chief Technology Officer of Univercells. mRNA vaccines, and mRNA in general, have proven to be a game-changer in how we prevent, treat, and cure diseases in a range of fields from oncology to infectious diseases. To unlock its full potential, however, we need constant innovation to make mRNA products more effective, efficient, and affordable. One key step is to develop platforms that use lower doses of mRNA.

mRNA vaccines work through priming the bodys immune system to recognize and destroy a pathogen. The vaccines introduce a small piece of the target pathogens proteins into specialized cells in our bodies that can produce the full protein. These cells then manufacture the target protein in small amounts triggering the production of specific antibodies to destroy any entity that has the same protein, such as a virus. Although our bodies break down the vaccines mRNA very quickly, the antibodies linger so that we are protected should we contract the virus in the future.

About SemaPhore

SemaPhore is a versatile platform designed to enable safe and effective delivery of mRNA into target cells, using systemic or local administration. It is based on a proprietary 21 amino acid peptide that can engage any type of RNA in rapid self-assembly into a polyplex. The polyplex has a size, charge, and other physical features that allow it to escape hepatic clearance and thus to reach target tissues other than the liver. SemaPhore protects the RNA payload from degradation in the circulation and allows for rapid and effective cell entrance. Efficient delivery and positive treatment outcomes have been demonstrated in multiple murine models of disease so far.

About Altamira Therapeutics

Altamira Therapeutics (Nasdaq: CYTO) is developing and supplying peptide-based nanoparticle technologies for efficient RNA delivery to extrahepatic tissues (OligoPhore / SemaPhore platforms). The Company currently has two flagship siRNA programs using its proprietary delivery technology: AM-401 for KRAS driven cancer and AM-411 for rheumatoid arthritis, both in preclinical development beyond in vivo proof of concept. The versatile delivery platform is also suited for mRNA and other RNA modalities and made available to pharma or biotech companies through out-licensing. In addition, Altamira holds a 49% stake (with additional economic rights) in its commercial-stage legacy asset Bentrio, an OTC nasal spray for allergic rhinitis. Further, the Company is in the process of partnering / divesting its inner ear legacy assets. Founded in 2003, Altamira is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, with its main operations in Basel, Switzerland. For more information, visit:https://altamiratherapeutics.com

About Univercells

Univercells is a global life sciences company with the mission of making biologics accessible. Using our combined expertise in scaling, production and bioprocessing, Univercells finds new and sustainable ways to widen access to life-changing drugs. Our affiliate companies deploy innovations in infrastructure, drug substance manufacturing, equipment manufacturing, equipment design, training, and on-the-ground health services to drive down costs, shrink manufacturing footprints and meet the needs of the entire health value chain. Headquartered in Jumet (Belgium), Univercells is supported by regional and national investors, as well as international investors active in vaccines and healthcare, such as the European Investment Bank and Global Health Investment Fund, among others. https://www.univercells.com/ Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical facts and may include statements that address future operating, financial or business performance or Altamiras strategies or expectations. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "may", "might", "will", "should", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "predicts", "projects", "potential", "outlook" or "continue", or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the success of strategic transactions, including licensing or partnering, with respect to Altamiras legacy assets, Altamiras need for and ability to raise substantial additional funding to continue the development of its product candidates, the clinical utility of Altamiras product candidates, the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, Altamiras intellectual property position and Altamiras financial position, including the impact of any future acquisitions, dispositions, partnerships, license transactions or changes to Altamiras capital structure, including future securities offerings. These risks and uncertainties also include, but are not limited to, those described under the caption "Risk Factors" in Altamiras Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022, and in Altamiras other filings with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available free of charge on the SECs website at: http://www.sec.gov. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated. All forward-looking statements and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to Altamira or to persons acting on behalf of Altamira are expressly qualified in their entirety by reference to these risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Altamira does not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable law.

Investor contact

Hear@altamiratherapeutics.com

Read more:

Altamira Therapeutics Announces Collaboration with Univercells Group on Nanoparticle-Delivered mRNA Vaccines - Yahoo Finance