Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report—Vaccines

News Outlets Examine Malaria Drug Resistance, Hope For Malaria Eradication In Africa

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:19:17 GMT

Experts at an American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene meeting this week said that resistance to the best available drug to treat malaria "is more widespread in Southeast Asia than previously reported," Science News/Wired Science reports.

Evidence Does Not Connect H1N1 Vaccine To Patient Deaths, WHO Says

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:45:04 GMT

The deaths of 41 people from six countries who had received the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine were not directly linked to the vaccine, the WHO said Thursday, the Associated Press/MSNBC reports (11/19).

WHO To Launch Yellow Fever Vaccination Campaign In West Africa

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:00:18 GMT

The WHO on Tuesday announced it would lead a week-long, multi-country vaccination campaign in Africa next week to protect those "deemed at highest risk from yellow fever," Reuters reports. The vaccination drive will target nearly 12 million Africans living in Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone – all countries at high risk of yellow fever outbreaks (Nebehay/MacInnis, 11/17).

U.S. Health Officials Testify Before Senate Committee About H1N1 Vaccine Campaign

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:58:30 GMT

U.S. health officials defended their handling of the country's H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine campaign Tuesday "against criticism that their plan to protect Americans was confusing and over-optimistic," Reuters reports (Fox, 11/17).

GAVI Alliance Drives Down Pentavalent Vaccine Costs, Data Shows

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:45:22 GMT

The "co-ordinated buying policy" of the GAVI Alliance has driven down "[t]he price of a vaccine that helps babies fight off killer diseases," according to data released by the group, Reuters reports. In 2010, the price of pentavalent vaccine, which protects against Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and hepatitis B, will fall "below $3.0 – a drop of almost $0.50 cents per dose on the 2009 price," according to the news services.

China, WHO To Collaborate On Flu Research Center

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:36:37 GMT

Chinese and WHO officials last week agreed to open a flu research center in Beijing, Bloomberg reports. "The new collaborating center for reference and research on influenza will join a network of WHO-affiliated labs in Atlanta, London, Tokyo and Melbourne that monitor flu strains and make recommendations on vaccines to fight the virus," the news service writes.

Also In Global Health News: Global Corruption; HIV Vaccine; Smoking; DRC Aid

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:33:00 GMT

H1N1 Continues To Spread, Despite Leveling Off In Some Regions, WHO Reports

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:11:47 GMT

Despite reports that the numbers of new H1N1 (swine flu) are leveling off in some parts of the Northern Hemisphere, the virus continues to spread, the WHO said Friday, Reuters reports. "In an update on the H1N1 swine flu virus, the WHO said parts of the southern and southeastern United States, as well as Iceland and Ireland, seemed to have weakening levels of disease after an unusually early start of the winter flu season," the news service writes.

Recent Releases In Global Health

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:19:00 GMT

CDC Expected To Revise Estimated Number Of U.S. H1N1 Deaths

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:23:35 GMT

Ahead of the anticipated CDC release of revised U.S. H1N1 (swine flu) death toll estimates, Reuters examines how the agency and WHO measure the impact of the virus, after both organizations "stopped trying to count actual cases months ago, once it became clear that H1N1 was a pandemic that would infect millions."

GSK To Donate 50M H1N1 Vaccine Doses To WHO In Coming Months

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:47:49 GMT

Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline announced plans on Tuesday to donate 50 million doses of its H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine to the WHO for use in developing countries within the next few months, Reuters reports.

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Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:14:30 GMT

H1N1 Cases Increase In China, Japan; Afghanistan Attempts To Contain Virus

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:06:00 GMT

The WHO on Friday reported on a rising number of H1N1 (swine flu) cases in China and Japan, Reuters/Washington Post reports. "In China, after an earlier wave of mixed influenza activity (seasonal H3N2 and pandemic H1N1), pandemic H1N1 influenza activity now predominates and is increasing," the agency said. "Sharp increases in pandemic flu infections continue to be reported throughout Japan, particularly on the northern island," the news service writes (Nebehay, 11/6).

VOA News Examines Conculsion Of MIM Pan-African Malaria Conference

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The 5th Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) Pan-African Conference ended Friday in Nairobi, Kenya, "with scientists expressing optimism about several developments in the works to prevent, treat, and possibly eradicate a disease that kills nearly one million people in Africa each year," VOA News reports.

Recent Releases In Global Health

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:30:22 GMT

H1N1 Is Now Most Dominant Flu Strain Worldwide, WHO Says

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:16:00 GMT

The H1N1 (swine flu) virus is now the dominant flu strain worldwide, the WHO reported Thursday, with the virus accounting for up to 70 percent of the flu viruses sampled in some countries, the Associated Press reports. "We remain quite concerned about the patterns that we're seeing," Keiji Fukuda, the WHO's Special Adviser on Pandemic Influenza to the Director-General, said during a press briefing.

Health Officials Address U.S. H1N1 Vaccine Supply

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:52:00 GMT

U.S. health officials briefing Congress on Wednesday would not outline a timeframe for when enough H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines would be available to reach all high-risk populations in the country, the Washington Post reports.

Wall Street Journal Examines Big Pharma's 'Growing Interest' In Emerging-Market Vaccine Development, Production

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:45:00 GMT

The Wall Street Journal examines "big pharma's growing interest in a corner of healthcare – emerging-market inoculations," in light of a recent move by Novartis to purchase an 85 percent stake in the Chinese vaccine maker Zhejiang Tianyuan Bio-Pharmaceutical Co.

Malaria Experts Discuss Eradication At MIM Conference

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:37:28 GMT

In a session at the 5th Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) Pan-African Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, experts discussed the tools required to eradicate the disease and highlighted insecticide and drug resistance in some parts of the world, Xinhua reports.

Also In Global Health News: Childhood Vaccines; USAID Administrator; Pakistan Polio Fight; UNICEF Fundraising; Measles In India

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:09:00 GMT