Techniques to increase the yield in manufacturing avian influenza vaccines may help improve the response to a pandemic, in which widespread and rapid vaccination offers the best hope of controlling infection.Source: Lin, J. et al. Lancet 2006; 368: 991-997.
21/09/2006
Children crying after vaccination may soon be a thing of the past, with researchers now evaluating the feasibility of spraying vaccines straight onto the skin.
02/11/2004
Do flu vaccines really protect the elderly? It's been a point of bitter dispute among flu experts. Specific studies comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated patients show the shots save lives, but national figures show little change in the numbers of elderly people dying from flu since vaccination became widespread after 1980.
11/07/2007
AIDS is now a manageable chronic disease — at least in developed countries — but there is no room for complacency as HIV infection rates remain steady or might even be increasing.
Source: Osborn, J. JAMA 2008; 300: 581-583.
08/08/2008
Researchers have called for improved delivery of influenza vaccination to the elderly, following a study showing significant reductions in hospitalisation and death in this high-priority group.
Source: Nichol K. et al. New England Journal of Medicine 2007; 357: 1373-1381.
05/10/2007
A recent issue of Gynecologic Oncology has provided a comprehensive series of reviews on immunisation against human papillomaviruses, emphasising the significance of controlling this infection and its consequences.
Source: Frazer, I. Gynecologic Oncology 2007; 107: S1.
18/10/2007
A spirited debate in the United States is addressing the pros and cons of ‘follow-on’ protein drugs — or generic biologics — and the convoluted legislative history that has led to many products being treated differently to traditional small-molecule medications.
Source: Dudzinski, D. et al. New England Journal of Medicine 2008; 358: 843-849.
24/02/2008
The ninth annual report from the BEACH program has revealed that the Australian general practice workforce is ageing, like its patients, but not being replaced fast enough, and GPs are much less likely to prescribe medications than in the past. Source: Britt, H. et al. General Practice Activity in Australia 2006-07.
01/02/2008