Vaccine News and Research

Latest Vaccine News and Research

Pap test procedure facts

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center shares important information about the cervical cancer screening exam, the Pap test.

7 Jan 2009

Sequella, Inc. drug compound SQ109 selected for phase 1B clinical trial program

Sequella, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on diseases of epidemic potential, announced today that SQ109, its lead drug candidate for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB), was the first drug approved for evaluation in a newly awarded clinical program contract to Dynport Vaccine Company LLC and Quintiles Transnational.

6 Jan 2009

Many babies with simple febrile seizures can avoid spinal tap

When babies develop a fever high enough or abrupt enough to cause a seizure, frightened parents often rush them to the emergency room, where their workup frequently includes a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to rule out bacterial meningitis.

6 Jan 2009

Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines do not appear to protect against pneumonia

Commonly used pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines do not appear to be effective for preventing pneumonia, found a study by a team of researchers from Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

5 Jan 2009

Days could be numbered for Dengue spreading mozzies!

Australian researchers say the days of the Dengue spreading mozzie could be numbered and the news could not have come at a better time.

5 Jan 2009

Brits battling to cope with 'killer' Australian flu strain

As doctors and hospitals in the UK struggle to deal with a flu epidemic, Brits are being warned that the current outbreak is expected to intensify in the new year as the potentially fatal Australian strain of influenza spreads across the country.

30 Dec 2008

Scientists isolate genes that made 1918 flu lethal

By mixing and matching a contemporary flu virus with the "Spanish flu" - a virus that killed between 20 and 50 million people 90 years ago in history's most devastating outbreak of infectious disease - researchers have identified a set of three genes that helped underpin the extraordinary virulence of the 1918 virus.

30 Dec 2008

Adults with asthma at increased risk of serious pneumococcal disease

Mayo Clinic research shows adults with asthma are at increased risk of serious pneumococcal disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, the most common bacteria causing middle ear infections and community acquired pneumonia.

22 Dec 2008

Immunogenicity and safety of human papillomavirus vaccine in healthy boys

New industry-supported research from Finland suggests that Cervarix, an HPV vaccine given to girls in Europe and elsewhere, is safe for boys as well.

21 Dec 2008

Remote sensing helps tackle tropical disease schistosomiasis in southern China

Scientists are looking to outer space for help in their attempt to prevent new outbreaks of the tropical disease schistosomiasis in southern China.

18 Dec 2008

Merck KGaA acquires manufacturing rights for Stimuvax from Oncothyreon

Oncothyreon Inc. announced today that Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany has licensed the right to manufacture Stimuvax and, through its affiliate EMD Serono Canada Inc., purchased current inventory and certain assets utilized for the manufacture of Stimuvax from Oncothyreon for consideration which includes net payments to Oncothyreon totaling approximately U.S. $13 million.

18 Dec 2008

Key survival circuit discovered in Salmonella bacteria

Hundreds of trillions of bacteria make their home in the vertebrate gut. Though many of these microbes perform helpful duties for their host, others - the pathogens - are unwelcome visitors, causing disease.

17 Dec 2008

Promiscuity fears pose barrier to cervical cancer vaccinations

The public's concerns about costs and increased promiscuity among teenagers appear to be hindering use of a vaccine against the human papilloma virus (HPV) to prevent life-threatening diseases, according to a study by researchers at Yale School of Public Health.

17 Dec 2008

Discovery of new way a man can transmit the HIV virus to a woman

Scientists had long believed that the normal lining of the female vaginal tract was an effective barrier to invasion of the HIV virus during sexual intercourse. They thought the large HIV virus couldn't penetrate the tissue.

16 Dec 2008

Researchers solve failed vaccine mystery

Research led by Johns Hopkins Children's Center scientists has figured out why a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine used in 1966 to inoculate children against the infection instead caused severe respiratory disease and effectively stopped efforts to make a better one.

15 Dec 2008

NACCHO to donate up to one million doses of FluMist

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has announced a donation of up to one million doses of FluMist (Influenza Virus Vaccine Live, Intranasal) by MedImmune in a partnership aimed at increasing influenza awareness and vaccinations in underserved communities and populations.

14 Dec 2008

Researchers develop universal influenza vaccine for animals

A University of Maryland-led science team has developed a universal influenza vaccine for animals that may help prevent or delay another human flu pandemic.

14 Dec 2008

FDA to review Barr Pharmaceutical's BLA for adenovirus type 4 and 7 live oral vaccines

Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s Adenovirus Types 4 and 7 Live Oral Vaccines Biologics License Application (BLA).

14 Dec 2008

Australians warned of rabies outbreak in Bali

The warning comes from the head of the Northern Territory's Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Peter Markey, who says anyone bitten or scratched on the island by an animal should seek medical advice; the warning also applies to people who have been to Bali recently.

14 Dec 2008