 |
|
Scientist warns over pandemic flu vaccine 6-month time lag
April 28, 2009Study is first to show pre-pandemic vaccine approach
New research published today (Monday April 27) from the University of Leicester and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust warns of a six-month time lag before effective vaccines can be manufactured in the event of a pandemic flu outbreak.
By that time, the first wave of pandemic flu may be over before people are vaccinated, says Dr Iain Stephenson, Consultant in Infectious Diseases at the Leicester Royal Infirmary and a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Leicester.
In his paper published in PNAS- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA- Dr Stephenson makes the first case for a pre-pandemic vaccine to mitigate the worst effects of pandemic flu.
He said: "This study is the first to show an effective pre-pandemic vaccine approach. This means that we could vaccinate people potentially many years before a pandemic, to generate memory cells that are long lasting and can be rapidly boosted by a single dose of vaccine when needed."
Dr Stephenson, of the Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation at the University of Leicester, said: "If an influenza pandemic occurs, vaccination will to be the main way to protect the population. The major current threat seems to be from avian influenza H5N1 (bird flu) which has spread rapidly around the world and causes human infections and deaths.
"Unfortunately, if a pandemic occurs, it will take up to six months to manufacture effective vaccine, so the first waves of the pandemic may be over before people are vaccinated. Furthermore, most people need two doses of H5 pandemic vaccine to get protection- so this adds a further delay.
"To reduce any delay, we could consider stockpiling vaccine or immunizing people with vaccine prepared in advance -(a so called 'pre-pandemic vaccine' - to protect them before a future pandemic.
"However, we don't know which strain of influenza will cause the pandemic. There are several strains of H5N1 virus, so we can't be sure of which virus strain to make pre-pandemic vaccine from. Therefore a 'pre-pandemic' vaccine needs to give cross protection to as many H5 strains as possible."
Dr Stephenson and his team conducted a study comparing the effect of a single H5 bird flu vaccine dose to people who had been vaccinated with an H5 vaccine previously with people who had not previously received vaccine. The aim was the test out the idea of a pre-pandemic vaccination approach.
He said: "We found that those people who received H5 vaccine between 1999 and 2001 responded very well to a single dose of a newer H5 vaccine. They had memory cells that gave a rapid protective response within 7 days of the repeat vaccine. Also the response was very broad and able to protect against all known strains of H5N1 virus.
"In contrast, those people who had not been previously vaccinated with H5 vaccine, behaved as we had expected. They required 2 doses of vaccine and got good antibody responses up to 6 weeks after the first dose."
Dr Stephenson added that this was the first study to show an effective pre-pandemic vaccine approach.
The trial subjects were all recruited at the University of Leicester or University Hospitals of Leicester.
University of Leicester
In his paper published in PNAS- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA- Dr Stephenson makes the first case for a pre-pandemic vaccine to mitigate the worst effects of pandemic flu.
He said: "This study is the first to show an effective pre-pandemic vaccine approach. This means that we could vaccinate people potentially many years before a pandemic, to generate memory cells that are long lasting and can be rapidly boosted by a single dose of vaccine when needed."
Dr Stephenson, of the Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation at the University of Leicester, said: "If an influenza pandemic occurs, vaccination will to be the main way to protect the population. The major current threat seems to be from avian influenza H5N1 (bird flu) which has spread rapidly around the world and causes human infections and deaths.
"Unfortunately, if a pandemic occurs, it will take up to six months to manufacture effective vaccine, so the first waves of the pandemic may be over before people are vaccinated. Furthermore, most people need two doses of H5 pandemic vaccine to get protection- so this adds a further delay.
"To reduce any delay, we could consider stockpiling vaccine or immunizing people with vaccine prepared in advance -(a so called 'pre-pandemic vaccine' - to protect them before a future pandemic.
"However, we don't know which strain of influenza will cause the pandemic. There are several strains of H5N1 virus, so we can't be sure of which virus strain to make pre-pandemic vaccine from. Therefore a 'pre-pandemic' vaccine needs to give cross protection to as many H5 strains as possible."
Dr Stephenson and his team conducted a study comparing the effect of a single H5 bird flu vaccine dose to people who had been vaccinated with an H5 vaccine previously with people who had not previously received vaccine. The aim was the test out the idea of a pre-pandemic vaccination approach.
He said: "We found that those people who received H5 vaccine between 1999 and 2001 responded very well to a single dose of a newer H5 vaccine. They had memory cells that gave a rapid protective response within 7 days of the repeat vaccine. Also the response was very broad and able to protect against all known strains of H5N1 virus.
"In contrast, those people who had not been previously vaccinated with H5 vaccine, behaved as we had expected. They required 2 doses of vaccine and got good antibody responses up to 6 weeks after the first dose."
Dr Stephenson added that this was the first study to show an effective pre-pandemic vaccine approach.
The trial subjects were all recruited at the University of Leicester or University Hospitals of Leicester.
University of Leicester
Pandemic Current Events and Pandemic News RSSAsthma a significant risk factor for complications in children with H1N1
A new study on pediatric H1N1 influenza admissions has found that asthma is a significant risk factor for severe disease in children with pandemic H1N1 compared with the seasonal flu.
Preventing H1N1 spread to health care workers: Dilemma, debate and confusion
A commentary in the December issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases brings to light the gaps in knowledge on the transmission of a common pathogen - the influenza virus - and its impact on decisions about how best to protect health care workers.
New culprit for viral infections among elderly -- an overactive immune response
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that exaggerated responses of the immune system explain why the elderly succumb to viral infections more readily than younger people.
New research helps explain why bird flu has not caused a pandemic
Bird flu viruses would have to make at least two simultaneous genetic mutations before they could be transmitted readily from human to human, according to research published today in PLoS ONE.
Mechanical ventilation for patients with lung damage don't always work as planned
As more Canadians are diagnosed with H1N1 influenza infection, some will be admitted to hospital. The most severely affected may be treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) and placed on a mechanical ventilator to help them breathe while they recover from the infection.
90 percent of Africans are not protected by smoke-free laws
As African nations are poised to undergo the highest increase in the rate of tobacco use among developing countries, nearly 90 percent of people on the continent remain without meaningful protection from secondhand smoke, according to a new report released at a regional cancer conference today.
Researchers mobilizing global resources to test new treatments for severe H1N1 infection
An important, ground-breaking initiative is unfolding in the global critical care community in response to the H1N1 pandemic.
New Synthetic Molecules Trigger Immune Response to HIV and Prostate Cancer
Researchers at Yale University have developed synthetic molecules capable of enhancing the body's immune response to HIV and HIV-infected cells, as well as to prostate cancer cells. Their findings, published online in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, could lead to novel therapeutic approaches for these diseases.
When should flu trigger a school shutdown?
As flu season approaches, parents around the country are starting to face school closures. But how bad should an influenza outbreak be for a school to shut down?
Sneezing in times of a flu pandemic
The swine flu (H1N1) pandemic has received extensive media coverage this year. The World Health Organization, in addition to providing frequent updates about cases of infection and death tolls, recommends hyper vigilance in daily hygiene such as frequent hand washing or sneezing into the crook of our arms.
More Pandemic Current Events and Pandemic News Articles
 |
Pandemic by Z-man Games Four diseases have broken out in the world and it is up to a team of specialists in various fields to find cures for these diseases before mankind is wiped out. Players must work together, playing to their characters' strengths and planning their strategy of eradication before the diseases overwhelm the world with ever-increasing outbreaks. A truly cooperative game where you all win or you all lose. |
 |
Pandemic Influenza, Swine Flu, Avian Flu Kit / Protective Apparel Emergency Disaster and First Aid Protection, Survival Transit Set with 1 Ex. Lg. Full Length Protective Coverall, 1 Face Mask with Eye Shield, 1 Pair of Lg. Gloves, 1 Pair of Lg. Shoe Covers - Safety Toggs / Frogg Toggs Brand - Polyspun Breathable Synthetic Fabric Disposable Set by Safety Toggs / Frogg Toggs Brand Product A Factory Sealed Brand New Safety Toggs / Frogg Toggs Brand Portable Home, Travel and Glovebox First Aid and Emergency Survival and Emergency Preparedness Disaster Accessory. This is a Basic Emergency Flu, Germ - Disease Emergency Disposable Apparel Kit. All Components are Extra Large, the Full Length Coverall Features a Polyspun Fabric Covered Neck to Crotch Zipper. These Components Are NOT WATERPROOF.. The Largest Test Subject we could find was 5" 11" tall, 44/46" waisted, and a shy bit under 300 lbs, they fit snugly but closed just fine, The Coverall's feature the Safety Toggs / Frogg Toggs Brand Name Logo. The Gloves fit most Lg./Ex. Large Hands, The Mask Fits Most Adults, and the Shoe Covers fit Men's Size 10 to 12. Great for Fast Evacuation and Transit, Self Rescue, and... |
|
Pandemic Expansion: On the Brink by Z-Man Games Pandemic: On the Brink is an expansion to our popular cooperative game, Pandemic, wherein players take on roles to work together to fnd cures to 4 diseases. This expansion to Pandemic includes new event cards, new role cards, rules for five players, and optional game challenges to increase the difficulty, such as the Legendary difficulty level, the Virulent Strain challenge, the Mutation challenge, and the Bio-Terrorist challenge. These challenges can be mixed together to make the game even harder. In this expansion you will find six new roles (plus 1 revised OpEx and a Bio-Terrorist), eight new special events, and several challenge kits to be added to the basic game play. Virulent Strain challenge: makes one disease become particularly deadly in unpredictable ways. Mutation Challenge:... | |
 |
Pandemic by Daniel Kalla (Author) Genesis of a Plague Right now, in a remote corner of rural China, a farmer and his family are sharing their water supply with their livestock: chickens, ducks, pigs, sheep. They share the same waste-disposal system, too. Bird viruses meet their human counterparts in the bloodstreams of the swine, where they mix and mutate before spreading back into the human population. And a new flu is born.... Dr. Noah Haldane, of the World Health Organization, knows that humanity is overdue for a new killer flu, like the great influenza pandemic of 1919 that killed more than twenty million people in less than four months. So when a mysterious new strain of flu is reported in the Gansu Province of mainland China, WHO immediately sends a team to investigate. Haldane and his... |
|
The Strecker Memorandum, VHS Tape, The Cause, The Effects and the Possible Cure for the Pandemic AIDS by The Strecker Group This is the most controversial videotape you'll ever see. Dr. Robert Strecker refutes, with documented evidence, virtually everything the so-called experts and Government reports have told you about AIDS. He asserts in no uncertain terms that: AIDS is a manmade disease, AIDS is not a homosexual disease, AIDS is not a venereal disease, AIDS can be carried by mosquitos, There can never be a vaccine. | |
 |
Pandemic Starring: Ray Wise, Alesha Clarke, Peter Asle Holden, Graham McTavish Directed By: Jason Connery A veterinarian finds herself in the midst of a horrifying pandemic where humans and animals are stricken with a horrible contagious disease. When the military quarantines the area and cuts off all communications, she must pair up with an eccentric conspiracy theorist as they fight to discover the true source of the threat and expose it or risk a viral threat more devastating than anything the world has ever seen! |
 |
The Great Influenza: The story of the deadliest pandemic in history by John M. Barry (Author) At the height of WWI, history’s most lethal influenza virus erupted in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with American troops, then exploded, killing as many as 100 million people worldwide. It killed more people in twenty-four months than AIDS killed in twenty-four years, more in a year than the Black Death killed in a century. But this was not the Middle Ages, and 1918 marked the first collision of science and epidemic disease. Magisterial in its breadth of perspective and depth of research and now revised to reflect the growing danger of the avian flu, The Great Influenza is ultimately a tale of triumph amid tragedy, which provides us with a precise and sobering model as we confront the epidemics looming on our own horizon. John M. Barry has written a new ... |
 |
Dominion by Rio Grande In Dominion, each player starts with an identical, very small deck of cards. In the center of the table is a selection of other cards the players can "buy" as they can afford them. Through their selection of cards to buy, and how they play their hands as they draw them, the players construct their deck on the fly, striving for the most efficient path to the precious victory points by game end. You are a monarch, like your parents before you, a ruler of a small pleasant kingdom of rivers and evergreens. Unlike your parents, however, you have hopes and dreams! You want a bigger and more pleasant kingdom, with more rivers and a wider variety of trees. You want a Dominion! In all directions lie fiefs, freeholds, and feodums. All are small bits of land, controlled by petty lords and verging on... |
 |
Pack of 5 Flu Isolation Masks with elastic ear loops by Cardinal Health Pack of 5 Fluid resistant disposable isolation mask with elastic ear loops provides protection against Swine Flu, Bird Flu and Seasonal Flu |
 |
Little Book of Pandemics by Peter Moore (Author) As the world waits once again to see if the latest virus will decimate the population, The Little Black of Pandemics looks at the greatest natural killers of all time. This concise and intelligent look at the most deadly viral and bacterial diseases includes expert opinion on likely future outbreaks, method of contagion, identification of systems, and likelihood of survival. Includes influenza, smallpox, West Nile virus, AIDS, Ebola, SARS, plague, typhus, cholera, tuberculosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, leprosy, meningitis, vCJD, hepatitis, yellow fever, Lassa fever, and many more. |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |