In a move that surprised many in the scientific community, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $50 million to 13 research projects focused on the complex and credible causes of autism.

The grants were announced just days after top administration officials, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., publicly touted controversial theories linking the disorder to Vaccines and Tylenol use.

When the administration requested proposals for new autism research in late May, many researchers feared the selection process would be influenced by anti-vaccine politics, and funding for a broader range of research ideas might be limited, The New York Times said.

However, the 13 chosen projects - known as the Autism Data Science Initiative - are focused on how genetic and environmental factors determine a person's risk for autism. They are grounded in years of established science.

Alycia Halladay, chief science officer at the Autism Science Foundation, expressed relief and enthusiasm for the choices.

"We're very enthusiastic and very optimistic that these projects will lead to important answers, no matter what question they're looking at," she said.

The chosen projects represent a wide range of investigation, Halladay said, noting they "had to do with everything from toxicants to nutrition to early contextual factors like socioeconomic status."

Judith Miller, an associate professor at the Center for Autism Research at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, leads one of the funded teams.

She said it will use a large set of maternal and childhood health data to examine the interplay of genetics and environment, looking at things like changes in diagnostic criteria, poverty, and the quality of air and water.

"We have known there's a big genetic component, and that genetics account for about 80% of the identifiable causes of autism," Miller said, adding that knowing the genetic cause doesn't fully answer questions about a person's long-term outcome.

Jonathan Sebat, a leader in autism genetics at the University of California, San Diego, also received funding for his team's work. His project aims to use genetics to help understand the role of environmental exposures.

"The genetics of autism is a key piece of the puzzle that we have a good handle on," he said, adding that this helps "the other pieces, including the environment, fall into place."

For many autism experts, the quality of the NIH's selections stood in sharp contrast to the unproven claims made by administration figures.

Helen Tager-Flusberg, director of Boston University's Center for Autism Research Excellence and founder of the Coalition of Autism Scientists, expressed optimism.

"This is all very serious, forward-looking, exciting, rigorous, gold-standard science," she told The Times.

More information

The National Institute of Mental Health has more information on autism spectrum disorder.

SOURCE: The New York Times, Sept. 26, 2025

The largest dengue outbreak ever recorded in the Americas (2023-2024) has provided crucial insights into predictors of severe disease, according to data presented at ESPID 2024. Researchers from Hospital Universitario del Valle (HUV) in Colombia conducted a prospective cohort study of 600 patients with virologically confirmed dengue to identify factors associated with critical dengue-defined as severe dengue or dengue with warning signs progressing to a severe course (e.g., vascular leakage, hemodynamic compromise, organ dysfunction).

Overall, 27% of patients developed critical dengue, most of whom were children and adolescents (median age: 13 years). Infection with serotype DENV2 emerged as a significant risk factor, especially in those with prior dengue exposure (OR 2.51; interaction P = 0.04). Additional independent predictors included living outside city limits and clinical presentation with bleeding or edema. The study also found a predominance of DENV2 (32%) and DENV3 (15%) among sequenced samples, highlighting the genetic diversity fueling this epidemic. Investigators stressed the importance of vaccines targeting DENV2 and early recognition of high-risk patients to reduce morbidity and mortality in future outbreaks...Read more

ESPID (OP059)

How feasible is early serotyping in low-resource settings to predict severity?

 Vaccines to protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in newborns and older adults are being more widely accepted by the American public, while confidence in other vaccines remains unchanged, according to the results of a new Annenberg Public Policy Center survey.

The survey, led by Kathleen Hall Jamieson and other researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, included a nationally representative sample of 1,771 U.S. adults and was conducted from Nov. 14 to 24, 2024.

More than half of U.S. adults (52 percent) think the vaccine given to pregnant individuals to protect infants from RSV is effective, up from 42 percent in October 2023, while 61 percent say the RSV vaccine is effective for adults aged 60 years and older, up from 54 percent in October 2023. In contrast, 86 percent of respondents say the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine is safe, up from 81 percent in October 2023 and similar to August 2022 (88 percent), and 83 percent say the flu vaccine is safe, unchanged from October 2023. Less than two-thirds of respondents (65 percent) say the COVID-19 vaccine is safe, unchanged from 2023. Respondents view the seasonal flu shot as more effective at reducing the risk for getting a severe illness (75 percent) compared with the COVID-19 booster for reducing the risk for getting a severe case of the disease (55 percent). Despite belief in safety and effectiveness, only 51 percent of respondents either received the seasonal flu shot (40 percent) or say they are very likely to receive it (11 percent) or the COVID-19 booster (38 percent received it and 9 percent are very likely to).

"Despite continuing attacks on the safety and efficacy of certain vaccines by some politicians, nine in 10 respondents say it is important for parents to get their children vaccinated," according to the authors of the report.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the Capvaxive pneumococcal 21-valent conjugate vaccine for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumococcal pneumonia in adults.

Capvaxive is specifically designed to help protect adults against the serotypes that cause the majority of invasive pneumococcal disease cases, including Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes 3, 6A, 7F, 8, 9N, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15A, 15B, 15C, 16F, 17F, 19A, 20A, 22F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, 33F, and 35B, in individuals ages 18 year and older, and for the prevention of pneumonia caused by S. pneumoniae serotypes 3, 6A, 7F, 8, 9N, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15A, 15C, 16F, 17F, 19A, 20A, 22F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, 33F, and 35B in individuals 18 years and older.

The priority review was based on the pivotal phase 3 STRIDE-3 trial, which compared Capvaxive to pneumococcal 20-valent conjugate vaccine in adults ages 18 years and older, who had not previously received a pneumococcal vaccine, as well as the phase 3 STRIDE-5 and STRIDE-6 trials, which evaluated Capvaxive in vaccine-naive and vaccine-experienced adults. Capvaxive includes eight unique serotypes not covered by other currently approved pneumococcal vaccines, but that are responsible for approximately 27 percent of invasive pneumococcal disease cases in adults ages 50 years and older and approximately 30 percent of cases in adults ages 65 years and older, according to epidemiological data. The company says the vaccine covers serotypes responsible for approximately 84 percent of invasive pneumococcal disease in adults ages 50 years and older.

"Today's approval is a testament to our population-specific strategy behind Capvaxive, which demonstrated robust immunogenicity in a range of adult populations and is driven by a deep understanding of pneumococcal disease," Dean Y. Li, M.D., Ph.D., from Merck Research Laboratories, said in a statement. "We are proud to provide Capvaxive as a new option specifically designed to help protect against the majority of invasive pneumococcal disease-causing serotypes in adults."

Approval of Capvaxive was granted to Merck.

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced a plethora of tough questions on vaccines, abortion and public health policy during his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday as President Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Lawmakers pressed Kennedy, a longtime vaccine critic and former Democrat-turned-independent, on his qualifications to oversee HHS, a $1.7 trillion agency that would put him in charge of Medicare, Medicaid, funding for medical research, public health outreach and much more.

While he's expected to win Republican support, his responses left many unconvinced about his ability to run the nation's largest health agency.

Here are some top takeaways from the hearing, from national and international news agencies:

Vaccine stance sparks a heated debate

Kennedy’s long history of vaccine skepticism was a major focus. Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat of Oregon, set the tone for his party with a deeply critical opening statement.

“Mr. Kennedy has embraced conspiracy theories, quacks, charlatans, especially when it comes to the safety and efficacy of vaccines,” Wyden said, as reported by USA Today.

Kennedy repeatedly claimed he was not anti-vaccine but "pro-safety."

Unsurprisingly, he was pressed about his past claims that COVID was made to target white and Black people while sparing Chinese people and Ashkenazi Jews and that Lyme disease was “highly likely” to have been a bioweapon.

“I probably did say that,” Kennedy said about Lyme disease, as reported by The New York Times. As for the COVID-19 claim, Kennedy stated that he had not said the virus was “deliberately targeted.”

Kennedy also said he supports the current childhood vaccination schedule and that he is not a conspiracy theorist.

"That's a pejorative that's applied to me to keep me from asking difficult questions about powerful interests," he told senators, as reported by BBC.

Medicare and Medicaid

Kennedy struggled to explain how he would manage Medicare and Medicaid, two major programs overseen by HHS.

Wyden argued that “from abortion to universal health care, Kennedy has changed his views so often it’s nearly impossible to know where he stands,” according to AP News.

Under questioning by Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican who chairs the Senate Health Committee, Kennedy said he would like to integrate the two programs, The New York Times reported. Cassidy asked him how he would do it.

“I do not know the answer to that,” Kennedy said. “I look forward to, uh, exploring options with you.” He also said of Medicaid: “The premiums are too high, the deductibles are too high, and everybody’s getting sicker.” But except in very rare cases, Medicaid enrollees do not pay either premiums or deductibles.

Abortion stance leaves Democrats skeptical

Kennedy’s stance on abortion has shifted in recent years, aligning him more closely with Trump's.

He sidestepped questions about whether he would support attempts to restrict the abortion pill mifepristone, a goal of abortion opponents.

That led to a sharp response from Sen. Maggie Hassan, a New Hampshire Democrat. She noted that when Kennedy visited her state as a presidential candidate in 2023, he described himself as “pro-choice.” At that time, he also said the government did not have “any business telling people what they can or cannot do with their body,” Hassan recalled.

“When was it that you decided to sell out the values you’ve had your whole life in order to be given power by President Trump?” Hassan asked.

Kennedy sidestepped the question, The New York Times reported. “I agree with President Trump that every abortion is a tragedy," he said, in contrast to his past support for abortion access and reproductive rights.

Food policy and chronic disease prevention

On another note, there was some common ground when Kennedy outlined his plan to implement a nutrition-oriented disease prevention plan, CNN reported.

He received loud applause when he promised he would "make America healthy again."

"We will reverse the chronic disease epidemic and put the nation back on the road to health," Kennedy said, according to the BBC.

However, he reassured the public he wasn’t banning fast food.

"If you like a McDonald's cheeseburger or a Diet Coke - which my boss loves - you should be able to get them," he said, referring to Trump's well-known admiration for the fast-food giant.

More information

Learn more about the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

SOURCE: The New York Times, media report, Jan. 29, 2025; USA Today; media report, Jan. 29, 2025; Associated Press, media report, Jan. 29, 2025; BBC, media report, Jan. 29, 2025; CNN, media report, Jan. 29, 2025

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THURSDAY, June 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Older adults have a second vaccine option for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of a Pfizer vaccine on Wednesday.

The other shot for adults 60 years and older is made by GlaxoSmithKline. It was approved May 3. Both should be available by fall, before the seasonal spread of RSV, The New York Times reported.

The Pfizer vaccine, known as Abrysvo, has effectiveness of nearly 67 percent when a patient has two symptoms of RSV, such as a sore throat and cough. It is 86 percent effective when three or more symptoms surface. Its GSK competitor -- named Arexvy -- was about 83 percent effective against severe RSV, The Times reported.

The study on the Pfizer vaccine did include a concern about autoimmune syndromes. One patient among the 34,000 who received the vaccine in the study developed a life-threatening case of Guillain-Barré syndrome a week after receiving the shot. Another developed Miller Fisher syndrome, a subtype of Guillain-Barré. That means the incidence rate for these syndromes is one in 9,000, higher than the one in 100,000 seen in the general population.

FDA advisers voted 7 to 4 in favor of the vaccine's safety and efficacy. The panel had voted 10 to 2 for the GSK vaccine, which was linked to similar cases.

Advisers for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet this month to talk about their recommendations for health care providers. They have suggested that the vaccines may be recommended for those aged 65 years and older, according to The Times.

The New York Times Article

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MONDAY, March 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Messenger RNA severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination leads to transient antibody response, with more sustained response for mRNA-1273 than BNT162b2, for those experiencing vaccine-associated symptoms, and for those with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a study published online Feb. 4 in Vaccines.

Kevin D. Dieckhaus, M.D., from UConn Health in Farmington, Connecticut, and colleagues examined the dynamics between vaccine products, prior SARS-CoV-2 illness, and incidence of vaccine-associated adverse reactions on antibody decay over time in health care workers at a university medical center. A cohort of 296 health care workers received standard two-dose vaccination with BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 and were assessed after two, six, and nine months. Participants were classified according to antibody decay curve into steep and gentle decliners.

The researchers found that compared with vaccination with BNT162b2, vaccination with mRNA-1273 led to more sustained antibody responses. The likelihood of experiencing a more prolonged neutralizing antibody response was increased among individuals experiencing vaccine-associated symptoms. Individuals with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection were more likely to experience vaccination-associated symptoms after first vaccination and were also more likely to have a more blunted decay of antibodies.

"Prior infection with COVID meant you were more likely to have a sustained immune response," Dieckhaus said in a statement. "It definitely set your immune system to respond in a more vigorous way to the vaccination."

Abstract/Full Text

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THURSDAY, Jan. 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Bivalent vaccines seem to provide additional protection against symptomatic BA.5 and XBB/XBB.1.5 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) omicron sublineages, according to research published in the Jan. 27 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Ruth Link-Gelles, Ph.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues analyzed data from the Increasing Community Access to Testing national pharmacy program for SARS-CoV-2 testing to estimate the vaccine effectiveness of updated (bivalent) mRNA COVID-19 vaccines against symptomatic infection caused by BA.5-related and XBB/XBB.1.5-related sublineages among adults during Dec. 1, 2022, to Jan. 13, 2023. A total of 29,175 nucleic acid amplification tests were included from adults who had previously received two to four monovalent COVID-19 vaccine doses.

The researchers found that for adults aged 18 to 49 years, the relative vaccine effectiveness of a bivalent booster given two to three months earlier was 52 and 48 percent against symptomatic BA.5 infection and against symptomatic XBB/XBB.1.5 infection, respectively, compared with no bivalent booster.

"All persons should stay up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including receiving a bivalent booster dose when eligible," the authors write.

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Four cases of the more infectious variant of mpox have been reported in the U.K., making it the first cluster of infections that have surfaced outside of Africa.

British authorities announced the first case in that country last week, saying the person was being treated at a London hospital after recently traveling to countries in Africa where there are ongoing outbreaks.

"This is the first time we have detected this clade of mpox in the U.K., though other cases have been confirmed abroad," Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency, said in a health alert issued at the time. "The risk to the UK population remains low, and we are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce the risk of any potential spread."

This week, the agency issued an update saying it has identified three more cases in people who lived in the same home as the first patient. They are now being treated at a hospital in London.

“Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact, and so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household,” Hopkins noted in the updated alert.

Still, health officials at the National Health Service (NHS) said that they are ready to do more if needed.

"While the risk of catching mpox in the UK remains low, if required the NHS has plans in place to expand the rollout of vaccines quickly in line with supply," Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccination and screening, noted in the health alert.

This new variant of mpox was first detected earlier this year in eastern Congo. It has also caused outbreaks in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, while single cases in travelers have been reported in Sweden, India, Germany and Thailand, the Associated Press reported.

To date, there have been about 43,000 suspected cases of mpox in Africa, including more than 1,000 deaths, mostly in Congo, the AP said.

In response to the ongoing outbreak, the World Health Organization announced on Wednesday that it had allocated 899,900 vaccine doses to the nine African countries that are struggling mightily with the spread of mpox.

"In recent weeks, limited vaccination has begun in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda," the WHO said in its announcement. "This allocation to the 9 countries marks a significant step towards a coordinated and targeted deployment of vaccines to stop the mpox outbreaks."

In an early sign that the outbreak in Africa might be ebbing, some health officials reported earlier this week that case counts seem to be stabilizing in the Congo, the epicenter of the outbreak.

The World Health Organization first declared the mpox outbreak a global health emergency in August, but recent WHO data has shown the Congo has reported about 200 to 300 lab-confirmed mpox cases every week, down from nearly 400 cases a week in July, the AP reported.

Still, the WHO acknowledged that only 40% to 50% of suspected infections in Congo were being tested and the virus continues to spread elsewhere on the continent, the AP reported.

While doctors are encouraged by the drop in infections in some parts of Congo, they are worried by the small number of vaccine doses the central African nation has received so far to fight the outbreak, the AP reported. WHO has estimated that only 50,000 people have been immunized in Congo, which has a population of 110 million.

“If we miss this opportunity, the likelihood of another significant outbreak increases substantially,” Dr. Zakary Rhissa, who heads operations in Congo for the charity Alima, told the AP.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated Congo needs at least 3 million mpox vaccines to stop the virus, and another 7 million are needed for the rest of the continent.

“We’ve seen how past outbreaks, such as the one in Nigeria in 2017, can lead to larger global events if not effectively contained,” Rhissa noted. That 2017 Nigerian outbreak triggered the 2022 global outbreak of mpox that affected more than 100 countries.

In this latest outbreak, less than half of the people who are most at risk in the Congo have been vaccinated, Heather Kerr, Congo director for the International Rescue Committee, told the AP.

“We only have a tiny amount of vaccines, and nothing for the kids,” she said.

What's most worrying about the new outbreak is that the death rate linked to the new strain of the disease appears higher: About 3 percent of those infected have died, instead of the 0.2 percent observed in the 2022 outbreak.

In 2023, scientists discovered that the mpox virus has gained mutations allowing it to spread more easily between people. Sexual transmission, often through heterosexual prostitution, is a main conduit for infection in Africa.

Dr. Nicole Lurie is executive director for preparedness and response at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a nonprofit that finances vaccine development.

Speaking to the New York Times recently, she said, “this outbreak has been smoldering for quite a long time, and we continually have missed opportunities to shut it down. I’m really glad that everybody is now paying attention and focusing their efforts on this.”

More information

Find out more about mpox at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCE: UK Health Security Agency, health alert, Nov. 6, 2024; Associated Press; WHO, news releases, Nov. 6, 2024 and Aug. 26, 2024; New York Times

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TUESDAY, June 13, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The live attenuated vaccine candidate for active immunization and prevention of disease caused by chikungunya virus, VLA1553, induces a strong immune response and seroprotective titers in almost all vaccinated persons, according to a study published online June 12 in The Lancet.

Martina Schneider, Ph.D., from Valneva Austria in Vienna, and colleagues conducted a randomized, phase 3 trial involving healthy volunteers aged 18 years and older to examine safety and immunogenicity data up to day 180 after vaccination with VLA1553. Participants were randomly assigned to receive VLA1553 or placebo in a 3:1 ratio (3,093 and 1,035 participants, respectively). The per-protocol population for immunogenicity analysis included 362 participants: 266 and 96 in the VLA1553 and placebo groups, respectively.

The researchers found that VLA1553 induced seroprotective chikungunya virus neutralizing antibody levels in 98.9 percent of the VLA1553 group at 28 days after a single vaccination, independent of age. VLA1553 was generally safe; the adverse event profile was similar to other licensed vaccines and was tolerated equally well in younger and older adults. Overall, 1.5 and 0.8 percent exposed to VLA1553 and placebo, respectively, reported serious adverse events. Only two serious adverse events were considered related to VLA1553 treatment; both participants recovered fully.

"The generation of protective titers in virtually all vaccinated participants independent of age positions VLA1553 as an excellent candidate for the prevention of chikungunya," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to Valneva, which developed VLA1553 and funded the study.

Abstract/Full Text

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For adults aged 60 years or older, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination is effective for preventing associated hospitalizations and emergency department encounters, according to a study published online Oct. 19 in The Lancet.

Amanda B. Payne, Ph.D., from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues assessed the effectiveness of RSV vaccines against RSV-associated hospitalizations and emergency department encounters among adults aged 60 years or older who underwent virus testing from Oct. 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024.

The researchers found that vaccine effectiveness was 80 and 81 percent against RSV-associated hospitalizations and against RSV-associated critical illness among 28,271 hospitalizations for RSV-like illness among adults aged 60 years or older without immunocompromising conditions. Vaccine effectiveness was 73 percent against associated hospitalizations among 8,435 hospitalizations in adults with immunocompromising conditions. Vaccine effectiveness was 77 percent against RSV-associated emergency department encounters among 36,521 emergency department encounters for RSV-like illness among adults aged 60 years or older without an immunocompromising condition.

"These findings provide additional context regarding the benefit of respiratory syncytial virus vaccination among adults aged at least 60 years," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

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U.S. doctors should be on the lookout for a more severe strain of mpox that is spreading widely in parts of Africa, federal health officials warned Wednesday.

The alert, issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, came just hours after the World Health Organization's Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu tweeted that he will be gathering a group of advisers to decide whether the mpox outbreak in Africa should be declared a public health emergency of international concern.

Cases of what is known as the clade 1 strain of mpox haven't yet been reported outside of central and eastern Africa, the CDC noted in its alert. But the likelihood of additional spread prompted the agency to recommend that doctors in this country consider this more dangerous strain of mpox in patients who have recently been in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or any neighboring country (Angola, Burundi, Central Africa).

Still, "due to the limited number of travelers and lack of direct commercial flights from DRC or its neighboring countries to the United States, the risk of clade I mpox importation to the United States is considered to be very low," the CDC added.

The latest mpox strain is different from the one that spread globally in 2022, which mainly affected men who have sex with men. Those cases have since decreased significantly in the United States, NBC News reported.

Meanwhile, mpox cases have soared by 160% in Africa this year, as a lack of both vaccines and treatments hamper efforts to slow the spread of the virus.

In a report released by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week, officials said mpox has now been detected in 10 African countries this year, including Congo, the country that has been the center of the latest outbreak. That nation has seen more than 96% of all cases and deaths. Even more troubling, nearly 70% of Congo cases have been in children under the age of 15, who also accounted for 85% of mpox deaths.

Doctors Without Borders have called the expanding mpox outbreak in the Congo “worrying.”

“There is a real risk of explosion, given the huge population movements in and out,” Dr. Louis Massing, the group’s medical director for Congo, said in a statement. “We can only plead … for vaccines to arrive in the country and as quickly as possible so that we can protect the populations in the areas most affected."

So far this year, there have been an estimated 14,250 mpox cases in Africa, almost as many as were reported in all of 2023. Compared to the first seven months of 2023, cases are up 160% and deaths are up 19%, to 456.

The countries of Burundi and Rwanda both reported mpox cases for the first time last week, and outbreaks have been declared in Kenya and the Central African Republic, the Associated Press reported.

Earlier this year, scientists reported the emergence of a new and deadlier version of mpox in a Congolese mining town. Mpox spreads through close contact with infected people, including via sex.

Meanwhile, an analysis of patients hospitalized from October to January in eastern Congo suggested that the recent genetic mutations seen in the virus were triggered by its rapid spread in that country, the AP reported.

Last month, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations announced it was starting a study in Congo and other African countries next month to see if giving people an mpox shot after they have been exposed to the virus could help prevent severe illness and death.

According to the CDC, mpox symptoms can include: rashes on the hands, feet, chest, face, mouth or near the genitals; fever; chills; swollen lymph nodes; fatigue; muscle aches and backache; headache; and respiratory symptoms like sore throat, nasal congestion and cough.

More information

The CDC has more on mpox.

SOURCES: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health alert, Aug. 7, 2024; Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, report, July 31, 2024; NBC News; Associated Press

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FRIDAY, April 28, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Travelers to the United States will now only need a single bivalent COVID-19 vaccine from either Pfizer or Moderna to enter the country, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday.

The loosening of vaccination requirements for foreign travelers comes as many other countries have already done so.

"Because some traveler vaccine records might not specify whether recent Moderna or Pfizer doses received were bivalent, CDC will consider anybody with record of a single dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine issued on or after August 16, 2022, to meet the requirements," because that was when bivalent vaccines first became available, the agency said in an update to its website.

Earlier this month, the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration changed the vaccine schedule so that unvaccinated Americans could be considered fully vaccinated with just one dose of bivalent vaccine instead of the earlier versions, CBS News reported. Another federal agency, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, announced that health care workers would be considered "fully vaccinated" with the one bivalent dose.

Travel industry officials have said they expected the vaccination requirement to be allowed to expire altogether, CBS News reported. At this point, the Transportation Security Administration has renewed the requirement through May 11.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said there was no update on the requirement, CBS News reported.

CBS News Article

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FRIDAY, April 28, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A new antibody drug to help fight COVID-19 infection in immunocompromised people may be available by the end of the year.

AstraZeneca said Thursday that its treatment, called AZD3152, appears to work in all variants to date, potentially providing necessary armor for immunocompromised people whose vaccinations have not given them enough protection, CBS News reported.

"In vitro studies demonstrated that AZD3152 neutralizes all COVID-19 variants, including Arcturus, the latest variant of concern," Mene Pangalos, executive vice president of biopharmaceuticals at AstraZeneca, told investors on an earnings call this week.

Results of the SUPERNOVA trial on the drug could be out by September, and that may lead to an emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, CBS News reported.

AstraZeneca had previously announced promising early lab testing results for the drug. It may be helpful in the 2 percent of people whose immune systems are not providing effective resistance after vaccination, the company said.

AZD3152 is considered a replacement for the now-shelved Evusheld. It is based on an antibody derived from donated B cells of previously infected people, CBS News reported. It is "designed to have broader variant coverage" than Evusheld, according to the company.

CBS News Article

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The Los Angeles area is seeing a troubling increase in local dengue fever cases, health officials warned Wednesday.

In a public notice posted on its website, the Los Angeles County Public Health Department said at least three people have fallen ill with dengue fever this month after being bitten by mosquitoes in the Baldwin Park neighborhood east of downtown Los Angeles.

"The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has confirmed 3 cases of locally acquired dengue. These residents had no history of travel to places where dengue is common prior to their symptoms," health officials said in the notice. "Cases of locally acquired dengue are very rare in LA County. Last fall, two cases of locally acquired dengue were identified in Long Beach and Pasadena. Almost all reported dengue cases in LA County have involved travel to a country where dengue is commonly spread."

So far this year, 82 cases have been reported in LA County by people returning from traveling abroad, health officials said.

But the three locally-acquired cases are particularly concerning, they added.

"These additional cases of local virus transmission are a stark reminder for all Los Angeles County residents that simple steps to prevent mosquito breeding and mosquito bites can lower the risk of mosquito-borne diseases and prevent more sustained transmission in the future," health officials stressed in the notice.

What can residents do to protect themselves?

“Reducing exposure to mosquitoes and the risk for mosquito bites are crucial to preventing transmission of mosquito-borne disease, including dengue fever,” Los Angeles County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said in the notice. “This can be as simple as using insect repellent to prevent mosquito bites, eliminating any standing water around your home where mosquitoes can breed, and keeping your home mosquito-free by using or fixing screens on your doors and windows. These straightforward measures can significantly reduce the risk of mosquito-borne disease for both you and your neighbors."

Los Angeles is not alone is seeing more local cases of dengue fever emerge this year: Illnesses have been reported in Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, where officials have declared a dengue epidemic. There have been 3,277 locally-acquired cases in the United States this year, of which 96% were in Puerto Rico, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cases of dengue have been surging globally as climate change brings warmer weather that allows mosquitoes to breed and spread further.

Dengue fever is commonly spread through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes in tropical areas. While Aedes mosquitoes are common in Los Angeles County, local infections weren’t confirmed until last year, health officials noted.

Dengue can cause high fevers, rashes, headaches, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, and bone and joint pain. About 1 in 4 patients will develop symptoms, which usually appear within five to seven days of a bite from a dengue-carrying mosquito, according to the CDC. One in 20 people with symptoms will develop severe dengue, which can lead to severe bleeding and can be life-threatening.

There are no antiviral medications to treat dengue. Instead, treatment involves ibuprofen, acetaminophen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Luckily, there are two vaccines that can tackle dengue: One is Dengvaxia, developed by Sanofi, while the other is Dengue Tetravalent Vaccine, developed by Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

More information

The CDC has more on dengue fever.

SOURCE: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, health notice, Sept. 18, 2024

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FRIDAY, April 14, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Higher percentages of women of childbearing age (18 to 49 years old) do not think that vaccination against COVID-19 and the flu during pregnancy is safe versus older women (aged 50 years and older) and all adult men, according to a report released April 10 by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

The analysis included data from 10 waves of a nationally representative panel survey of 1,657 U.S. adults, first empaneled in April 2021. The 10th wave was conducted Jan. 10 to 16, 2023.

The results showed that the majority of women of childbearing age (53 percent) know that the seasonal flu vaccine "is safe for pregnant women"; 17 percent of women of childbearing age incorrectly think that is false. Doubts about flu vaccine safety for pregnant women are higher for women of childbearing age (17 percent) than women aged 50 years and older (4 percent) or adult men (9 percent). Results were even more pronounced with the COVID-19 vaccine (data collected in August 2022), with 42 percent of childbearing-age women knowing that the COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is safe and effective, but 31 percent saying it is not. Again, doubts in childbearing-age women were higher (31 percent) than doubts of older women (15 percent) or adult men (19 percent).

"Because the COVID and flu vaccines help protect both those who are pregnant and their infants, dispatching misconceptions about them should be a public health priority," Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, said in a statement. "That women of childbearing age are showing doubt in the safety of current, authorized vaccines is worrisome."

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Childhood vaccinations continue to provide substantial health and economic benefits, according to research published in the Aug. 8 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Noting that the U.S. Vaccines for Children (VFC) program has covered the cost of vaccines for children whose families might not be able to afford vaccines since 1994, Fangjun Zhou, Ph.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues assessed and quantified the health benefits and economic impact of routine U.S. childhood immunizations among VFC-eligible and non-VFC-eligible children born during 1994 to 2023. Established economic models were used to estimate averted illnesses and deaths and associated costs over the lifetimes of 30 annual cohorts of children; net savings were calculated from the perspectives of payers and society.

The researchers found that routine childhood vaccinations will have prevented approximately 508 million lifetime cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations, and 1,129,000 deaths among approximately 117 million children born during 1994 to 2023; the associated net savings were $540 billion in direct costs and $2.7 trillion in societal costs.

"This analysis demonstrates the continued and substantial health benefits associated with vaccinating young children, rendering the investment in vaccines and immunization services an important and cost-saving public health strategy," the authors write.

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Reactogenicity is comparable for simultaneous and sequential administration of mRNA COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, according to a study published online Nov. 6 in JAMA Network Open.

Emmanuel B. Walter, M.D., M.P.H., from the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, and colleagues compared the reactogenicity, safety, and changes in health-related quality of life after simultaneous versus sequential receipt of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and the quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV4) in a randomized clinical trial. A total of 335 persons were randomly assigned to receive simultaneous intramuscular administration of IIV4 and mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, with placebo administered two weeks later, or sequential administration of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine plus placebo, followed by IIV4 administration two weeks later (169 and 166 participants, respectively).

The researchers found that the primary composite reactogenicity outcome (proportion with fever, chills, myalgia, and/or arthralgia of moderate or greater severity within seven days after vaccination) was noninferior in the simultaneous versus the sequential group (25.6 versus 31.3 percent). After each visit separately, the respective proportions were similar (visit 1: 23.8 versus 28.3 percent; visit 2: 3.0 versus 5.4 percent). There were no significant differences seen between the groups in terms of participants with adverse events, serious adverse events, and adverse events of special interest.

"This trial lends support to the option of simultaneous administration of these vaccines, which is a strategy to achieve high levels of vaccination coverage during anticipated periods of increased influenza and SARS-CoV-2 virus transmission," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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