Vaccination

A phase 4 post-marketing study of RIV3, a recombinant trivalent influenza vaccine, demonstrated no safety concerns regarding its use in adults.

The Global Vaccine Summit, hosted virtually this week by the government of the United Kingdom, raised $8.8 billion in funding for programs to vaccinate 300 million children by 2025, according to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Influenza vaccination reduced the risk for influenza by more than 40%, with no effect on coronaviruses or other non-influenza respiratory viruses, according to a study assessing seasonal influenza and coronaviruses over seven seasons.

A study of the live herpes zoster vaccine in patients with psoriasis is just one of many in recent years to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of vaccines in this patient population, yet vaccination rates in this group remain low despite patients’ high risk for shingles and other vaccine-preventable viruses. Patients may be uncertain about which vaccines are safe for them to take with their psoriasis or other medications, and the difference between live attenuated and killed vaccines — as well as the associated risk for each — can be confusing.

Since the emergence of COVID-19 in the United States, many patients have forgone routine medical visits out of fear of being exposed to the virus.

At least 80 million children aged younger than 1 year could miss routine vaccinations because of the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO and other groups warned today.

On April 10, just 3 days before officials were set to declare the end of the 10th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC — the second-largest outbreak of the disease in history — a new case was reported. Between April 10 and April 13, reports of three new cases had emerged.

Globally, reported cases of neonatal tetanus decreased by 90% from 2000 to 2018 and neonatal deaths from the bacterial infection fell 85%, according to a report published recently in MMWR, which summarized progress toward eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT).

Influenza vaccination of patients with diabetes decreased the risk for influenza-related hospitalization by 46%, according to a study examining six influenza seasons in Spain.

Scott Gottlieb, MD, former commissioner of the FDA, expressed doubt that necessary large-scale manufacturing of a COVID-19 vaccine would be available by the fall but was optimistic that inoculations could be available by 2021. Gottlieb discussed the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s response to the virus at the virtual American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting.