Immunization is the induction of immunity against an infectious disease by a means other than experiencing the natural infection. The term is usually used interchangeably with vaccination.
US Pediatrics agency updates guidelines on polio vaccination – Despite significant progress in eliminating polio, wild poliovirus persists in a small number of Asian and African countries. It is essential to ensure high levels of immunity in U.S. children to prevent outbreaks in case the virus is imported here.
Number of Medicaid beneficiaries served by such plans increased by more than 4 million between 2004-2009, expected to rise further as health reform expands Medicaid coverage; provider-operated plans perform better than commercially-owned – A new Commonwealth Fund report finds that Medicaid managed care plans that are owned by publicly traded for-profit companies whose primary line of business is managing Medicaid enrollees spent an average of 14 percent of premiums on administrative costs, compared with an average of only 10 percent spent by non-publicly traded plans owned by groups of health care providers, health systems, community health centers, or clinics.
Combination MMRV vaccine linked with 2-fold risk of seizures — Electronic health records study of 459,000 children sparked new CDC recommendations – The combination vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox (MMRV) is associated with double the risk of febrile seizures for 1- to 2-year-old children compared with same-day administration of the separate vaccine for MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and the varicella (V) vaccine for chicken pox.
Mount Sinai researchers move closer to a universal influenza vaccine – Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have developed a new influenza vaccine that brings science one step closer to a universal influenza vaccine that would eliminate the need for seasonal flu shots.
H1N1 Vaccination Clinics Open to All at Oklahoma City-County Health Department – The Oklahoma City-County Health Department (OCCHD) is offering extended hours and days for both H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccinations at the main building at 921 NE 23rd Street in Oklahoma City.
Safety of pandemic vaccines — Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 briefing note 16. – WHO estimates that around 80 million doses of pandemic vaccine have been distributed and around 65 million people have been vaccinated. National immunization campaigns began in Australia and the People’s Republic of China in late September.
Shri Azad launches special polio vaccine drive on children?s day — Bi-valent OPV to be introduced soon to tackle rise in polio cases. – The Indian Minister of Health and Family Welfare Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the Indian Government will very soon introduce bi-valent oral polio vaccine to attack the type 1 and type 3 virus to deal with the fresh outbreak of type 3 virus.
The Global Coalition Against Child Pneumonia and the World Pneumonia Day coalition was established in April 2009. It seeks to bring focus on pneumonia as a public health issue and to prevent the millions of avoidable deaths from pneumonia that occur each year. – Nearly 100 leading global health organizations from around the world joined forces to recognize the first-annual World Pneumonia Day on November 2 and urge governments to take steps to fight pneumonia, the world’s leading killer of young children.
Experts advise WHO on pandemic vaccine policies and strategies — Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 briefing note – The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization, which advises WHO on policies and strategies for vaccines and immunization, devoted a session of its 27?29 October meeting to pandemic influenza vaccines.
Novartis A(H1N1) Pandemic Influenza vaccine Focetria? receives positive opinion from CHMP – Novartis announced that Focetria, the Novartis Influenza A(H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine, has received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA).
