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Additional countries to join in donating H1N1 vaccines to developing countries, U.N official says

Additional countries are expected to soon announce they will follow in the footsteps of nine developed countries who recently said they would donate H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine supplies to poorer nations, David Nabarro, of the U.N. said Friday, Reuters reports.

29 Sep 2009

Government plans intense monitoring for swine flu vaccine side effects

Although health officials say they have no reason to expect any unusual problems with the vaccine that will likely be available next month, the government is establishing an extensive tracking system to watch for possible side effects, the Associated Press/Washington Post report.

28 Sep 2009

Merck to distribute Afluria in the U.S. for CSL Biotherapies

CSL Biotherapies and its parent company, CSL Limited, one of the world's leading manufacturers of influenza vaccine, have reached an agreement with Merck & Co., Inc. on rights to market and distribute Afluria® in the United States under an exclusive, six-year agreement effective September 3, 2009.

28 Sep 2009

$1.3 million fund awarded to WPI for ongoing life sciences research

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute's (WPI) Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center at Gateway Park have received a total of $1.3 million in new awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund ongoing research in several areas of the life sciences, including a study of the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, work aimed at using adult stem cells to repair damaged hearts, and a project that seeks to create engineered blood vessels.

28 Sep 2009

American Lung Association in Indiana holds flu panel discussion

In an effort to educate Indianapolis area residents about the importance of annual seasonal influenza vaccination, the American Lung Association in Indiana is kicking off the 2009-2010 influenza season by holding a flu panel discussion at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School on September 24 at 6:30 p.m. to educate the community about the dangers of influenza.

28 Sep 2009

H1N1 vaccine for limited supply only to people at highest risk

The novel H1N1 virus (Swine Flu Virus) is expected to complicate the 2009/2010 flu season. The H1N1 vaccine has been approved for release but availability and access is still unknown. Seasonal influenza vaccine (flu shot) is available and the CDC recommends vaccination over the next few months.

28 Sep 2009

WHO Asia-Pacific Countries pledge to use artemisinin with other drugs by 2015 to prevent drug-resistance

On Wednesday, nine of the 10 countries in the WHO's Asia-Pacific region "that suffer most" from malaria pledged to phase out the use of artemisinin-only to treat malaria and use it in combination with other drugs by 2015, Reuters reports (Lyn, 9/23).

28 Sep 2009

Investigational vaccine regimen 31% effective in preventing HIV infection

In an encouraging development, an investigational vaccine regimen has been shown to be well-tolerated and to have a modest effect in preventing HIV infection in a clinical trial involving more than 16,000 adult participants in Thailand. Following a final analysis of the trial data, the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army, the trial sponsor, announced today that the prime-boost investigational vaccine regimen was safe and 31 percent effective in preventing HIV infection.

27 Sep 2009

Contagious diseases more prevalent due to presenteeism

While employers may celebrate a low absenteeism rate among their employees, there may be a more serious problem if sick employees are coming to work. "Presenteeism," a new term coined for when employees work while unhealthy, may be even worse for employers and for the healthcare system, costing $160 billion annually in lost productivity, according to healthcare market research firm Kalorama Information, in its new report "The Market for Wellness Programs and Their Impact on Pharmaceutical, Diagnostic and Device Product Markets." The report also notes that presenteeism costs are one of many factors driving usage of wellness programs.

26 Sep 2009

EMS provides free resources for protection against swine flu

Emergency Management & Safety Solutions (EMS), the crisis planner for many Fortune 100 companies, international government agencies and large non-profit organizations, is providing free resources to help people prepare for, prevent transmission of and take care of the ill to survive this wave of this year’s H1N1 flu pandemic. Today, over 180 countries have experienced the H1N1 virus outbreak and at least 3,486 people have died – including 1,000 Americans.

26 Sep 2009

Virginia Tech student granted fellowship for research study on LaCrosse Virus disease

Camille Harris of Ridgeland, Mississippi, a graduate student in biological sciences at Virginia Tech, has been awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Graduate Research Fellowship for her study of forest disturbance and its ecological impacts on LaCrosse Virus, a mosquito-borne disease that can cause seizures, coma, paralysis, and permanent brain damage in severe cases.

26 Sep 2009

Associated Press/Washington Post examine contributions of military research to reducing global disease burden

In light of the U.S. Army's announcement yesterday that an experimental HIV vaccine trial it is sponsoring in Thailand showed modest potential for preventing infection, the Associated Press/Washington Post examines how military research is contributing to the fight against major diseases around the world.

25 Sep 2009

WHO lowers expectation of H1N1 vaccine output, appeals for donations to fight pandemic

International drug makers are expected to produce three billion doses of the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine, "enough for just under half the world's population," a WHO official said Thursday, Canwest News Service/Ottawa Citizen reports. "The agency was hoping pharmaceutical companies would be able to make about five billion doses a year, but data collected over the summer led to the revised estimate," the news service writes (Fitzpatrick, 9/24).

25 Sep 2009

Recent releases in Global Health

A study appearing in the Journal of Infectious Diseases explores how well access to safe drinking water reduces rates of diarrhea experienced by 6-month-old infants born to HIV-infected mothers following weaning.

25 Sep 2009

The Australian Institute of Policy and Science awards Dr Jake Baum for malaria research

Research aimed at developing drugs that stop malaria parasites from spreading throughout the body has seen Dr Jake Baum, from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, named a Young Tall Poppy by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science.

25 Sep 2009

Registered Nurses of CNA/NNOC requests meeting with HCA regarding its policy on use of surgical masks

In response to a new policy imposed by the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) mandating flu shots for all employees and requiring masks, the Registered Nurses of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC) have requested a meeting with hospital executives on behalf of the chain's 50,000 RNs over this life-and-death issue.

25 Sep 2009

Phase III clinical trial of investigational HIV vaccine regimen complete

Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases (“GSID”) announced today that a Phase III clinical trial of an investigational HIV vaccine regimen has been shown to be safe and modestly effective in preventing HIV infection. The double-blind, placebo controlled study was conducted in Thailand among more than 16,000 volunteers.

25 Sep 2009

Also in global health news: Urban malnutrition in CAR; U.S. HIV travel ban; East Africa hunger

"The global financial crisis has led to an alarming rate of urban malnutrition in the south of the Central African Republic, where diamond mines have closed as demand for the gems falls, the medical relief group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) says," Reuters AlertNet reports (Fominyen, 9/24). In a related blog post, Reuters AlertNet writes that aid agencies are warning that without additional support from donors, the Central African Republic could "start sliding backwards after three years of progress at a time when humanitarian assistance was raised" (Fominyen [2], 9/24).

25 Sep 2009

Seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines from Priority Health

Priority Health has announced its coverage of both the seasonal flu and H1N1 flu vaccines. “Preventing the flu through immunization is the best way to keep yourself and your family healthy,” said John Fox, M.D., associate vice president of Medical Affairs at Priority Health. “We encourage our members to receive both vaccines to protect themselves against the two viruses.”

25 Sep 2009

African Leaders Malaria Alliance launched at U.N. General Assembly

On the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly Wednesday, African heads of state formed a 20-member African Leaders Malaria Alliance with the goal of eliminating deaths from malaria by 2015, the Associated Press writes. "With an estimated 500 million annual cases, Africa is the continent most affected by malaria, accounting for 86 percent of all cases and 91 percent of all malaria deaths worldwide, President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania said at the alliance's launch," according to the news service (9/24).

25 Sep 2009

Disease/Infection News

Additional countries to join in donating H1N1 vaccines to developing countries, U.N official says

Government plans intense monitoring for swine flu vaccine side effects

Merck to distribute Afluria in the U.S. for CSL Biotherapies

$1.3 million fund awarded to WPI for ongoing life sciences research

American Lung Association in Indiana holds flu panel discussion

H1N1 vaccine for limited supply only to people at highest risk

WHO Asia-Pacific Countries pledge to use artemisinin with other drugs by 2015 to prevent drug-resistance

Investigational vaccine regimen 31% effective in preventing HIV infection

Contagious diseases more prevalent due to presenteeism

EMS provides free resources for protection against swine flu

Virginia Tech student granted fellowship for research study on LaCrosse Virus disease

Associated Press/Washington Post examine contributions of military research to reducing global disease burden

WHO lowers expectation of H1N1 vaccine output, appeals for donations to fight pandemic

Recent releases in Global Health

The Australian Institute of Policy and Science awards Dr Jake Baum for malaria research

Registered Nurses of CNA/NNOC requests meeting with HCA regarding its policy on use of surgical masks

Phase III clinical trial of investigational HIV vaccine regimen complete

Also in global health news: Urban malnutrition in CAR; U.S. HIV travel ban; East Africa hunger

Seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines from Priority Health

African Leaders Malaria Alliance launched at U.N. General Assembly

Small solutions for big problems in drug discovery and delivery

Professor Nancy Ip: Pioneering New Paths in Neurodegenerative Therapy

Utilizing process Raman in optimizing cultivated meat production

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