Study: Melatonin May Help Moderate COVID-19 Cytokine Storm

Study: Melatonin May Help Moderate  COVID-19 Cytokine Storm

Story Highlights Many of the serious side effects of COVID-19, including high fever, cough, shortness of breath, lung injuries and long-term lung fibrosis are symptoms of a cytokine storm, which is a hyper-inflammatory response to infection. Melatonin, a hormone produced in the mitochondria and existing in almost all cells in all organisms, has been investigated […]

Sweden’s Different Response to COVID-19 Based on Mutual Respect and Trust

Sweden’s Different Response to COVID-19 Based on Mutual Respect and Trust

Story Highlights Unlike most other countries, Sweden has not enforced nationwide lockdowns and home quarantines to combat the spread of COVID-19, instead relying on individual citizens to voluntarily follow the government’s suggested guidelines for social distancing to protect the vulnerable. So far, both the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths are higher in Sweden than […]

Will Coronavirus Mutations Delay COVID-19 Vaccines?

Will Coronavirus Mutations Delay COVID-19 Vaccines?

Story Highlights Seven different coronaviruses have been shown to cause disease in human beings, including common ones that tend to cause transient respiratory infections often referred to as the “common cold,” and others that cause more serious illnesses such as SERS, MERS and the current COVID-19. The virus that causes COVID-19 has been believed to […]

Inovio COVID-19 Vaccine Uses Electricity to Drive DNA Into Body Cells

Inovio COVID-19 Vaccine Uses Electricity to Drive DNA Into Body Cells

Story Highlights Inovio Pharmaceuticals has started Phase 1 testing of its experimental COVID-19 DNA vaccine in healthy volunteers. The U.S. biotech firm has already produced enough of the vaccine to support Phase 1 (immune system reactivity and safety) and Phase 2 (efficacy) testing and plans to have one million doses ready for distribution by the […]

Autism Prevalence is Declining in California Counties With Higher Incomes

Autism Prevalence is Declining in California Counties With Higher Incomes

Story Highlights Researchers have documented that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is declining in financially secure, predominantly Caucasian communities in California, in contrast to steeply rising rates seen in counties where many families of every race are living in poverty. Researchers did not determine whether the observed declines are related to accessibility of […]

Gallup Poll Shows Fewer Americans Trust Vaccines

Gallup Poll Shows Fewer Americans Trust Vaccines

Story Highlights A Gallup poll in December of 2019 revealed that fewer people in the U.S. feel that vaccines are very important compared to a 2001 Gallup poll, a trend that was first noted in 2015. The poll also found there is an increased perception of both advantages and disadvantages of vaccines compared to 2001, […]

Smallpox Infection Via Tattoo

Smallpox Infection Via Tattoo

Story Highlights A soldier was vaccinated for smallpox and developed a local and systemic vaccine virus smallpox infection after tattooing over his injection site. Despite global eradication of wild-type smallpox, fears over its potential use as a biological weapon have prompted vaccination of military personnel and first responders. Similar processes for administration of the smallpox […]

HIV Vaccine Fails Clinical Trial in South Africa

HIV Vaccine Fails Clinical Trial in South Africa

Story Highlights Another attempt to create an effective vaccine against the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has been stopped early because it was not found to prevent HIV infection. It is estimated that 1,000 people are newly infected every day in South Africa. HIV virus appears to evade and destroy cells of the immune system and […]

Maternal Mortality Up Among Black Women in the U.S.

Maternal Mortality Up Among Black Women in the U.S.

Story Highlights The incidence of maternal mortality, either during childbirth or during the postpartum period is increasing in the U.S., especially among black women. Differences in education, access to quality healthcare, and financial resources contribute to but do not explain the racial disparities in pregnancy and childbirth mortality. Some of the other probable causes include […]

Chinese Pharmaceutical Industry Competes for Vaccine Market Share

Chinese Pharmaceutical Industry Competes for Vaccine Market Share

China’s National Medical Products Administration has announced that two Chinese pharmaceutical companies, Walvax Biotechnology and Innovax, have been approved to start selling their own version of drugs previously available only through global pharmaceutical giants Pfizer, Merck and GlaxoSmithKline.1 Cecolin, developed by Innovax, will compete in the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) arena against Merck’s Gardasil and […]