At the beginning of the 20th Century, South African miners often were in poor health, and infections such as influenza and pneumonia quickly spread, killing up to one in ten miners yearly.
The biggest killer was pneumococcal pneumonia, wrote GAVI on May 16, 2023.
Within the first four months of working in the mines, 1–2% of men had been infected with it, and among men proven to be infected, 25–56% later died.
They weren't alone. A century later, pneumococcus bacteria continues to be the leading cause of severe pneumonia and bacterial meningitis worldwide.
Vaccines Extraordinarily Reduce Pneumococcus Impact
Lung Transplants From COVID-19-Positive Donors May Be Feasible
Data from 47 carefully selected transplants show early posttransplant outcomes are similar to those seen with COVID-19-negative donors
2011 to 2020 Saw Steady Improvement in Childhood Vaccine Adherence
Significant declines seen in patterns of no vaccination, selective vaccination, shot limiting
4th State Accepts Apple Wallet For TSA Screening
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) today announced the deployment of a new technology that enables airline passengers to use their Georgia-issued mobile driver’s license or ID card in Apple Wallet to verify their identity for airport security screening purposes at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).
Preexisting OSA Linked to Odds of Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2
Increased odds ratio observed for probable PASC in association with preexisting obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis
Heart Transplant Survival Affected With COVID-19-Positive Donor Organs
Increased mortality seen at six months and one year for heart transplant from donors with active COVID-19
Fungal Infections Following Surgery in Northeast Mexico
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today announced some people returning from Matamoros, Mexico, were diagnosed with suspected fungal meningitis infections in the U.S. that have led to severe illness and death.
Travelers with these infections had medical or surgical procedures that involved the injection of an anesthetic into the area around the spinal column performed at clinics in Matamoros, including River Side Surgical Center and Clinica K-3.
Bird Flu Vaccine Authorized to Save California Condors
The United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (APHIS) today announced they approved the emergency use of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) vaccine candidate to prevent additional deaths of California Condors.
This vaccine clinical trial will be carried out with the surrogate vultures in North Carolina beginning in May 2023.
As of May 12, 2023, twenty-one Condors have died related to HPAI infections in 2023.
In April 2023, the USDA's Agricultural Research Service began testing several candidate vaccines.
mRNA Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine Candidate Shows Promising Results
Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines may be the hottest thing in vaccine research. But even before the recent pandemic began, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) researchers had already been testing mRNA vaccine technology with a different purpose — as a treatment for cancer.
Pancreatic cancer surgeon Vinod Balachandran, MD, has been leading the first clinical trial to test mRNA vaccines as a potential therapy for pancreatic cancer.
The vaccines are custom-made for every person.
Current Surge Noted in RSV Infection, Especially in Older Children
Greater proportion of children hospitalized in 2022 to 2023 were aged 2 to younger than 5 years and aged 5 to younger than 12 years