How Do We Know That Herd Immunity Exists?

 Posted by on October 27, 2011  24 Responses »
Oct 272011
 
How Do We Know That Herd Immunity Exists?

The term “herd immunity” elicits strong responses from some in the anti-vaccine camp. Perhaps some do not like the use of the word “herd” because of its association with sheep, or other such animals that do the bidding of their herders. Or perhaps, and this is my belief, it is because the very idea of herd immunity rests upon the premise that vaccines are effective at stopping disease progression, and vaccine efficacy is one of the major things anti-vaxers deny. Many times they demand proof that herd immunity exists. In and of itself, that request is not unreasonable. After all, scientific proof ———->FULL ARTICLE

The vaccinated vs unvaccinated study – a.k.a. The German Study

 Posted by on March 16, 2011  24 Responses »
Mar 162011
 
The vaccinated vs unvaccinated study - a.k.a. The German Study

I have previously reported on a newish trend in anti-vaccine propaganda, the “vaccinated vs. unvaccinated study” gambit. The anti-vaccine proponents have retreated to this new position after the thimerosal, MMR-autism and other hypotheses of theirs were shown to be worthless. This …..strategy is well known to anyone with a basic understanding of logic as moving the goal post. Superficially, the request does not sound unreasonable. Why not compare the non-vaccinated with the vaccinated and see if there is any increased risks with vaccination? To be clear, I am not against such research being done, to the limit it can practically ———->FULL ARTICLE

Flash News – 01/28/11

 Posted by on January 28, 2011  1 Response »
Jan 282011
 

Studies show rotavirus vaccine very effective in reducing rotavirus related, and all-cause, diarrhea hospitalizations rates – Twelve studies published as a special supplement in The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal show sustained declines in hospitalizations due to rotavirus in children under 5 in countries that include rotavirus vaccines as part of their routine immunization programs. More specifically they show the following: El Salvador – rotavirus hospitalization rates years declined by 81%  in 2008 when two-dose rotavirus vaccine coverage was 50% among newborns. The decline was about 69% in 2009 when the two-dose vaccine coverage grew to 61% among newborns Mexico – there ———->FULL ARTICLE

Study: Rotavirus vaccine reduces hospitalizations by 82% with no adverse effects

 Posted by on January 21, 2011  8 Responses »
Jan 212011
 

A recent study, published in the journal Pediatrics in December 2010, provides further evidence that the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine is effective in reducing hospitalization and emergency visits attributable to rotavirus gastroenteritis, without increased risk of intussusception or other serious adverse events, among infants aged 6-12 weeks of age. Pentavalent Rotavirus Vaccine in Developing Countries: Safety and Health Care Resource Utilization Celia D. C. Christie, MBBS, DMPeds, MPH, FAAP, FRCPa, Newton D. Duncan, MBBS, DMSurg, FACSb, Kirk A. Thame, MBBS, DMPeds, FAAPa, Matthew T. Onorato, BScc, Hyacinth D. Smith, RN, RM, MPHa, Lavern G. Malcolm, BSc, RN, MPHa, Robbin F. Itzler, ———->FULL ARTICLE

New study shows flu shot is effective in preventing flu in children 9-36 months of age

 Posted by on November 27, 2010  No Responses »
Nov 272010
 

A new study has recently been published at the Lancet Infectious Diseases website which shows the trivalent inactivated flu vaccine is effective in reducing flu infections in children between 9 months and 3 years of age. Refer to the link below (requires free account set up with The Lancet Online) to read the abstract of the study. Effectiveness of inactivated influenza vaccine in children aged 9 months to 3 years: an observational cohort study. Santtu Heinonen MD a, Heli Silvennoinen MD a, Pasi Lehtinen MD a, Raija Vainionpää PhD b, Thedi Ziegler PhD c, Dr Terho Heikkinen MD Study Summary ———->FULL ARTICLE

New bivalent polio vaccine performs better than trivalent and just as well as monovalent vaccines

 Posted by on October 28, 2010  1 Response »
Oct 282010
 

- A new study, published online at The Lancet shows that the bivalent polio vaccine, which is currently in use in India and Nigeria and offers protection against two of the polio virus strains, type 1 & 3, triggers a stronger immune response than the existing trivalent vaccine and similar immune response to the monovalent vaccines. Immunogenicity of bivalent types 1 and 3 oral poliovirus vaccine: a randomised, double-blind, controlled trial Dr Roland W Sutter MD a , Prof T Jacob John FRCP[E] b, Prof Hemant Jain MD c, Prof Sharad Agarkhedkar MD d, Prof Padmasini Venkat Ramanan MD e, Harish Verma ———->FULL ARTICLE

Maternal Flu Vaccination and Effect on Flu Infection in Young Infants

 Posted by on October 6, 2010  2 Responses »
Oct 062010
 

A new study, published online at the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, looks at the effects of mom’s flu vaccine on young infants. Maternal Influenza Vaccination and Effect on Influenza Virus Infection in Young Infants Angelia A. Eick, PhD; Timothy M. Uyeki, MD, MPH, MPP; Alexander Klimov, PhD; Henrietta Hall, MS; Raymond Reid, MD; Mathuram Santosham, MD; Katherine L. O’Brien, MD, MPH Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. Published online October 4, 2010. doi:10.1001/archpediatrics.2010.192 Study Summary – The objective of this study was to assess the effect of seasonal influenza vaccination during pregnancy on laboratory-confirmed flu infections in infants up to ———->FULL ARTICLE

Reduction in Gastroenteritis With the Use of Pentavalent Rotavirus Vaccine in a Primary Practice

 Posted by on October 2, 2010  1 Response »
Oct 022010
 

I have previously looked at studies that looked at acute gastroenteritis (AGE) rates of hospitalizations before and after the introduction of the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RV5). Those studies noted a significant reduction in AGE hospitalization rates following the introduction of the RV5 in 2006. In this entry, I will summarize yet another study along the same lines. AGE, commonly referred to as the “stomach flu“,  is a viral infection, and rotavirus is the leading cause of severe gastroenteritis in children, credited with causing about 50% of acute gastroenteritis hospitalizations during January-June among U.S. children. Logically, if rotavirus causes it, and if ———->FULL ARTICLE

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