Early Treatment With Flu Antivirals May Reduce Length Of Seniors’ Hospital Stay

By Dr Deepu
HealthDay (9/4, Preidt) reports a new government study finds that “early antiviral treatment for seniors with severe cases of the flu may shorten their hospital stay and reduce the need for extended care after discharge.” In a news release, Dr. Dan Jernigan, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s influenza division, said, “This important study shows that people 65 and older should seek medical care early when they develop flu symptoms.”

Egg Shortage Will Not Affect Flu Vaccine Supply

By Dr Deepu
The Philadelphia Inquirer (9/4, Avril) reports that the recent avian flu outbreak in the Midwest has driven up egg prices at supermarkets but “health officials say...the supply of certain eggs...used to grow and incubate the flu vaccine for humans” should not be affected. Lynnette Brammer, an epidemiologist with the CDC, said that vaccine manufacturers use “a totally separate supply” of eggs from chickens raised in a controlled environment.

NIAID To Launch RSV Study

By Dr Deepu
Healio (8/28) reports that the National Institutes of Health “has announced plans for its National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to conduct a pilot study to evaluate how respiratory syncytial virus infection develops in adults, and how it affects immune system responses, according to a press release.” NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said the study will enable “scientists to monitor, in a controlled setting, the natural history of a disease in exquisite detail.” He added, “By studying [respiratory syncytial virus] infection in healthy adults, we hope to improve understanding of how this infection develops and determine the suitability of this particular strain of the virus for use in future [respiratory syncytial virus] vaccine and treatment trials.”

Researchers Working To Bring Lung Cancer Vaccine Developed In Cuba To US

By Dr Deepu

The Philadelphia Inquirer (8/28) “Check Up” blog reports that “Cuba has developed a novel lung cancer vaccine that American researchers are working to bring to the” US. According to the blog, “Now that diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba have thawed,” Roswell Park Cancer Center in Buffalo “has reached an agreement with Cuba’s Center for Molecular Immunology to bring” the “vaccine, called CimaVax, to the U.S. for clinical testing – with an eye toward U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval.”

Researchers Seek To Make Flu Vaccine Work Better

By Dr Deepu

The Baltimore Sun (8/29, Cohn) reported on efforts to make the flu vaccine “work better.” Currently, influenza vaccines are “less effective than vaccines for other diseases.” For scientists at the NIH, “that means developing a universal vaccine.” Each year, the flu “vaccine must currently be matched months ahead of the flu season to circulating strains, which is something of a ‘guessing game,’ said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “ Dr. Fauci said, “Most of the time we guess correctly,” adding, “But not always.”