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Subsidised influenza vaccinations |
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for children in Australia
March 2008
The results of a Western Australian influenza vaccination trial involving children aged up to five years will be reviewed at the end of the 2008 influenza season and presented to federal authorities for consideration.
Dr Paul Van Buynder from the WA Health Department says the national influenza and vaccination advisory body will also review the broader U.S. recommendation for vaccination children ( in the U.S., all children from 6 months to 5 years are vaccinated and new recommendations have been made to vaccinate children up to 18 years) and assess whether a similar plan should be implemented in Australia.
"We do know that children are very importnat transmitters of infection and part of the reason that the U.S. has decided to do this is to try and protect other age groups and people with chrinic illnesses in the community by decreasing overall transmission," Dr Van Buynder said.
Content updated (Thursday 20, March)
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WHO recommends vaccine formulation |
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For the coming Northern Hemisphere winter - Brisbane strains
are prominent but this isn't a bad reflection on the city!
February 2008
At its vaccine formulation consultation last week (11-13 February 2008) the WHO recommended that vaccines for use in the 2008-9 influenza season (northern hemisphere winter) should contain the following:
- an A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1)-like virus;
- an A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like virus;*
- a B/Florida/4/2006-like virus.**
* A/Brisbane/10/2007 is a current southern hemisphere vaccine virus.
** B/Florida/4/2006 and B/Brisbane/3/2007 (a B/Florida/4/2006-like virus) are current southern hemisphere vaccine viruses.
For further details see: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/recommendations2008_9north/en/index.html
Dr Anne Kelso, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza in Melbourne assures the ISG that the reason for prominence of viruses from Brisbane in the WHO recommendations is not because Brisbane is a hotbed of influenza but rather reflects the excellent participation by Brisbane-based colleagues in providing high quality clinical specimens for the Centre. These samples allow isolation and growth of viruses under conditions that are acceptable for their further development as potential vaccine strains, an essential part of the regular vaccine updating process.
Content Updated ( Friday, 22 February 2008 )
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Oseltamivir resistant influenza detected |
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increased rates of resistance found in Europe, US and Canada
February 2008
One of three types of the seasonal influenza A virus currently circulating in the United States, Canada and parts of Europe has shown increased rates of resistance to the antiviral drug oseltamivir (marketed in Australia as Tamiflu). The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently assessing the extent and geographical spread of the oseltamivir-resistant viruses. However, to date, no changes have been made to the organisation's recommendation that oseltamivir be used to treat human cases of influenza and WHO has not changed any of its recommendations regarding H5N1 treatment and pandemic preparations. Neither Japan, where the drug is widely prescribed for seasonal influenza, nor Hong Kong has seen increased resistance to date.
Content Updated ( Friday, 22 February 2008 )
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Flu immunisations at school save money |
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Study shows school-based influenza immunisations are cost effective
January 2008
School-based vaccination could be a cost-effective option for preventing influenza in school-age children and their families, according to a recent multi-state trial in the USA. The trial, which was conducted in the autumn of 2004, grouped 28 elementary schools from four states into 11 demographically similar clusters, each of which included one intervention school that offered the vaccine plus one school that served as a control. Phone surveys during the peak week of the influenza season revealed that 17% of households of students in the intervention schools reported a child with influenza like illness, compared with 26% of households in the control schools. In the same week, 8% of households in the intervention group reported an adult with influenza-like illnesses compared with 13% in control-group households. The researchers believe the results support that the school vaccination program’s effectiveness extends to the household, and second, that a high-efficiency immunization program that requires minimal time from parents provides economic benefit. For more information on the study, please go to: http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/hlthaff.27.2.w96
Content Updated ( Friday, 22 February 2008 )
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Flu deaths are a family matter |
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Researchers at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City have revealed that some people are more likely to die from influenza than others. The Researchers looked at death certificates and family records going back 100 years and found that blood relatives of influenza victims were more likely to die than non relatives - even during different influenza outbreaks. Siblings were 74 percent more likely to die of influenza than unrelated people, and blood uncles and first cousins of influenza victims were 22 and 16 per cent more likely.
Content Updated ( Friday, 18 January 2008 )
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USA scientists unlock flu transmission |
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It has been known for some time that whether an influenza virus infects humans depends on whether its hemagglutinin, a protein found on the virus surface, can bind to particular chemical receptors (sugar molecules known as glycans) on cells in the respiratory tract. Human respiratory cells have receptors that have chemically different linkages than those in birds. Until now, it was believed that a genetic switch that allows the virus to bind to receptors with the correct chemical linkage is responsible for avian viruses' ability to jump to humans. However, a new study at MIT study shows that the shape, or topology, of the receptor also determines whether it will infect humans. The human glycan receptors come in two shapes-one that resembles an umbrella, and another that resembles a cone. The MIT team found that to infect humans, flu viruses must bind to the umbrella-shaped receptor.
The discovery may help scientist’s better monitor changes in the H5N1avian influenza virus that could trigger a deadly pandemic in humans; and it may lead to better ways to fight it. "We now know what to look for," said Prof Sasisekharan, whose study appears in the Journal Nature Biotechnology.
Content Updated ( Friday, 18 January 2008 )
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Life-long flu vaccine - successful trials |
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Scientists attempting to produce a single vaccine that could give life-long protection against all types of influenza say that they have produced promising results in human trials. If successful the vaccine, made by Acambis, would protect against all strains of influenza A - the cause of pandemics. Currently vaccines have to be regularly redesigned because the influenza virus keeps changing. The new vaccine would overcome this and could be stockpiled in advance of avian influenza outbreak, say experts.
The US trials show that the vaccine is safe and it works fast to make antibodies against a small molecule on the surface of the influenza virus, however, it remains to be shown that this will be protective. Previous animal studies have indicated that the vaccine may protect against severe illness and death but not against infection. Acambis say that their scientist are now working to perfect the formulation before conducting larger human trials.
Content Updated ( Friday, 18 January 2008 )
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YouTube misinformation on vaccination |
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Researchers from the University of Toronto have uncovered widespread misinformation in related videos on YouTube.
In the first-ever study of its kind, researchers analysed 153 videos about vaccination and immunization on YouTube and found that more than half of the videos portrayed childhood, HPV, influenza and other vaccinations negatively or ambiguously.
"Our study shows that a significant amount of immunization content on YouTube contradicts the best scientific evidence at large. From a public health perspective, this is very concerning." Said Dr. Jennifer Keelan one of the researchers involved in the study.
Content Updated ( Tuesday, 18 December 2007 )
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Vaccination saves people with CHD |
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New research has revealed that influenza can double the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
The research has shown that the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke doubled within a week of falling ill with influenza.
People with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) have been urged to be vaccinated against influenza each year as it could save their life.
See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071205190859.htm
Content Updated ( Tuesday, 18 December 2007 )
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Australia helps Laos fight avian influenza |
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Australia has committed to helping Laos carry out a avian influenza control project in Vientiane capital city and Vientiane province, where the first outbreaks reported earlier this year.
The $380,000 USD project will last until 2009.
Content Updated ( Tuesday, 18 December 2007 )
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Avian influenza virus: China's total 17 dead |
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A 24 year old male from Jiangsu Province in China has died on 2 December after contracting the H5N1 avian influenza virus, the World Health Organisation has reported. There is no initial indication to suggest he had contact with sick birds prior to becoming unwell. Of the 26 cases confirmed to date in China, 17 have been fatal.
Content Updated ( Monday, 10 December 2007 )
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