WHO Names 17 Pathogens as Top Priorities for Global Vaccine Development
A new World Health Organization (WHO) study published in eBioMedicine last week highlights 17 viral and bacterial pathogens that are major sources of endemic disease around the world and that WHO officials believe should be urgently prioritized for vaccine development. The study marks the WHO’s first global effort to systematically prioritize endemic pathogens with epidemic […]
CDC Narrows RSV Vaccine Guidelines Due to Safety Concerns
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently narrowed its original recommendations for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, citing concerns over the risk of a side effect that can lead to paralysis or death. The recommendations originally stated adults over the age of 60 should receive the vaccine, but updates in […]
Guillain-Barré Syndrome ‘More Common Than Expected’ in Early RSV Vaccine Trial
Reports of the nervous system disorder Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) were “more common than expected” in the older adult population who received the new vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The data, reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), matched trial data reported earlier this year.1 GBS is a “polio-like” inflammatory autoimmune […]
RSV Vaccines for Senior Adults Linked to Guillain-Barré Syndrome
On Feb. 29, 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) presented a preliminary analysis that showed that 23 adults over the age of 65 who received a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).1 When a person develops GBS, including after an infection or […]
CDC Reports Errors in RSV Vaccines Given to Pregnant Woman, Monoclonal Antibody Shots to Children
A new problem involving the RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) vaccines given to adults over age 60 and monoclonal antibody shots given to infants and children has been highlighted in a recent emergency newsletter called the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity, which is distributed to health care providers.1 […]
Survey Finds 50 Percent of Americans Will Not Get Influenza Vaccine
A recent survey, which was conducted by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) to better understand the public’s attitudes and beliefs about influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pneumococcal disease, found that many adults in the United States are not concerned about these respiratory diseases. As a result, many Americans do not plan […]