Despite the ongoing fear among some parents that vaccines — specifically the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine — cause autism, a new systematic review published in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics concludes that there is “strong evidence that MMR vaccine is not associated with autism.” The review additionally concluded […] More
Between January 1 and May 23, the number of confirmed measles cases has risen to 288, the highest number in a single year since the contagious disease was eliminated from the country in 2000, announces the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And the year is not even half over. Measles, or rubeola, is […] More
Previous attempts at creating vaccines for HIV and hepatitis C have been unsuccessful. Now researchers at the University of Adelaide in Australia have applied for a patent based on groundbreaking new research that could aid in the development a new type of DNA vaccine to protect against the HIV and hepatitis C. Professor Eric Gowans […] More
Despite years of studies from around the world that confirm the efficacy and safety of vaccines, many parents are still hesitant to vaccinate their children. Now three new studies have uncovered intriguing results on the support among the general public for the theory that vaccines cause adverse effects, particularly autism. The “vaccines cause autism” theory […] More
The HPV vaccine offers significant protection against cervical abnormalities, concludes a new review study published in the journal BMJ. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus that affects the skin and the moist membranes of the body such as the cervix, anus, mouth, and throat. Although most HPV infections clear without any harmful effects, the virus […] More
Children who receive the live measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine on schedule have a lower rate of hospital admissions for infection, lower respiratory tract infections in particular, says a new study published in the journal JAMA. Vaccines provide protection against target diseases. For example, the MMR vaccine protects against the measles, the mumps, and […] More
Because respiratory infections such as the flu can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, receiving the seasonal flu vaccine can reduce the risk of stroke by almost a quarter, says a new study from the University of Lincoln and The University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom as published in the journal Vaccine. Influenza, or […] More
Initial studies of the HPV vaccine have indicated that the vaccine is highly effective against HPV16/18-associated cervical cancer. Now use of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine has reduced the risk of cervical lesions among girls and women in Denmark after only six years, says a new study published the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The […] More
An analysis of patients seeking treatment for the flu at Duke University Hospital reveals that the most severe cases and the cases that require the most intensive treatment occur among unvaccinated individuals. Influenza, or the flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses. Symptoms include fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy […] More
Although using killed or weakened viruses works effectively for many vaccines, the method does not work for all diseases. Now researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created a method that delivers the vaccine directly to the lymph nodes in the body. Lymph nodes are oval-shaped organs of the lymphatic system that are distributed […] More
Common childhood infections like colds and the chickenpox are associated with an increased risk of stroke among children. However, routine vaccinations may help decrease risk, suggests preliminary research from three studies presented at the International Stroke Conference 2014 of the American Stroke Association. Stokes in children are rare but do occur. According to the Centers […] More
Although alcohol abuse decrease the response of the immune system to booster vaccination, moderate alcohol consumption may increase the response to booster shots, says a new study led by Ilhem Messaoudi — an associate professor at the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside — and published in the journal Vaccine. Previous studies […] More
