Virology News

Using the self-controlled case series design we examined 271,495 12 month vaccinations and 184,312 18 month vaccinations to examine the relative incidence of the composite endpoint of emergency room visits or hospital admissions in consecutive one day intervals following vaccination....

There are significantly elevated risks of primarily emergency room visits approximately one to two weeks following 12 and 18 month vaccination.

HOWEVER [Ed]:

Given the effectiveness of the MMR vaccine in eliminating both measles and rubella, and the highly infectious nature of these diseases, high vaccination coverage is essential. The diseases that the vaccines are preventing are not benign and vaccination can eliminate many of the serious sequelae of these infections [20]. Complications from measles include otitis media (7–9% of cases), pneumonia (1–6% of cases), encephalitis (1 per 1,000–2,000 cases), subacute sclerosing panecephalitis (1 per 100,000 cases), and death (1 per 3000 cases) [3], [21]. Further studies attempting to predict which children develop post-vaccination reactions, as well as determining the effectiveness of prophylactic treatment with antipyrectics prior to the high risk period for symptom development are warranted.

by Merry Youle

It’s true! Each year it rains viruses, more than a trillion of them per acre over thousands of forested acres in the USA.

Imagine that: they'll be spraying live bacteria next...oh, wait!  They do!!

Even if a 59% mortality rate for H5N1 is too high, the virus could still cause a flu pandemic more serious than that of 1918.

Washington, Feb 13 (IANS) A protein knocks out the most virulent form of HIV by starving it of the raw materials it needs to reproduce, in order to protect our immune cells, a study reveals.

...and this may be relevant for other viruses, like herpesviruses...

An estimated 7% of American teens and adults carry the human papilloma virus in their mouths, an infection that puts them at heightened risk of developing cancer of the mouth and throat, researchers say.

Of course, a goodly number of NON-Americans do, too...B-)

"The FDA has recently received inquiries regarding the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA fragments in Gardasil and is aware that information related to this issue is on the internet."

The thing they don't mention is that there is probably OTHER yeast-derived DNA present as well, seeing as the VLPs are made in yeast - and that the HPV DNA is probably present in very low amounts detectable only by PCR

Picture courtesy of Russell Kightley Media

Great site, with a LOT of info on the search for HIV vaccines.

THE SWINE flu vaccine has topped the list of drugs responsible for the largest number of suspected adverse reactions, new figures show.

...followed by (in third place) the HPV vaccine, then other childhood vaccines.  But "Most of these were relatively mild, such as localised swelling, gastrointestinal problems and flu-like symptoms."

THE deadly virus sweeping through Melbourne's pigeons has been confirmed for the first time in other species, renewing urgent calls for a vaccine.

"the paramyxovirus" - WHICH paramyxovirus??!!  We should be told....

Truth Alert:

The Gardasil human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine does not trigger autoimmune conditions in young women such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes or multiple sclerosis, according to a new study.