Patterns of Phobia: Examining Vaccine Panic Trends

Like I have posted before, this is not necessarily a new article, but it's pretty interesting to think about. A study published in PLoS Computational Biology utilizes a mathematical model to track what happens during a vaccine panic, the examples used being the 70s pertussis outbreak and the 90s MMR scare in England. Prof. Chris Bauch of the University of Guelph and Samit Bhattacharyya of the University of Utah developed the "behavior incidence" model. They showed that the culprits of this scare caused a media storm and a panic so great that interestingly enough, the vaccine uptake reached its bottom in 4-5 years. While I know we talked about the problems of mathematical modeling in class, something like this further stresses the fact that articles like those of Wakefield's can grip people's fears for years after their initial debut.

Closer and Closer to an Anthrax Vaccine (Vanthrax?)

This article isn't necessarily about a virus, but it does focus on an infectious bacteria and vaccines. Many of you remember the anthrax postal attacks in 2001. Since then, many researchers have taken note of just how deadly this infection is to civilians and a need for a vaccine in case of future bioterrorist attacks. A team of scientists hailing from the Republic of Georgia, Turkey, and the US have gathered at Cardiff University to lead a NATO project on developing a new anthrax vaccine. For a while, they have had to rely on animal models since infection is so rare. However, anthrax tends to be common in Central Asia, which explains why they have recruited foreign scientists on board. When finished, this vaccine will help the lives of people living in those developing countries while also preventing future attacks on developed countries.

Book Reviews

Amazon requires that an item be purchased before book reviews may be posted. Therefore, I will be posting my book reviews on the New and Hot blog.

Plagues and Peoples

This book is a wonderful read for anyone interested in the intersections of history and medicine. While the start is admittedly slow, the book is an excellent way to expand our current understanding of both virology and history. I learned everything from how the plague is still present in California squirrels, to the brutal extent that Native Americans were exterminated by foreign diseases. History and medicine intertwine in our world, and this book is a crucial piece of understanding this connection.

3.5/5

Vaccinated: One Man’s Quest to Defeat the World’s Deadliest Disease

This book is absolutely beautiful and engaging. It chronicles the life and accomplishments of Maurice Hilleman, who’s various vaccines have saved a countless number of lives. Maurice Hilleman is an interesting figure on his own, but Paul Offit frames his thought processes, family life and successes in a manner that is gripping and entertaining. This is not a difficult book to finish, only because it is so well written. The importance of vaccines is further emphasized here, making it a wonderful read for those interested in the vaccine controversy. Policy, science and the selfless actions of one man all combine in this book, making the readers appreciate Hilleman and the vaccinations that have kept them alive.

4/5

Vaccine Causes Narcolepsy

I know I don't have to post anymore but this was kind of cool.... A new french study suggests a link between narcolepsy and the H1N1 vaccine in Europe.
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/swineflu/news/sep2112narcolepsy.html

Antibody Cures and Prevents Influenza

Scripps Research Institute has made an exciting discovery relating to our constant battle with influenza. A single antibody was recently discovered to not only prevent influenza for taking hold of host cells but also cured animals currently infected. The antibody "attacks a structure of the virus that is used to take hold of healthy cells." Ian Wilson, the study author, claims this has never been seen before. The study involved taking bone marrow from patients exposed to various strains, which UT San Diego claims is a major storage area for antibodies. After going to "billions" of antibodies, researchers identified Co5, an antibody capable of binding to influenza A. Co5 successfully prevented influenza in mice, and cure mice which currently had the flu. This sounds like a crucial step to a universal flu vaccine.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/09/17/single-antibody-found-to-both-prevent-and-cure-flu/

Polio: A Prime Candidate for Eradication

As we all know, polio is next on the list of diseases to be eradicated. This article isn't exactly new, but the information in it is pretty hot. It examines the factors involved in eradicating polio, and what makes it a good candidate and what impedes us from finally getting rid of it.

As we have learned in class, while polio is no longer endemic in the United States, it is present elsewhere in the world, usually in developing countries with poor health care infrastructures. Actually, there are only three countries where polio is still present, as we have learned from class: Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria. However, that still affects bordering countries and any visitors flying in from even the most remote locations. Health care workers have to deal with getting vaccines to unreachable rural areas, and in the case of Pakistan, the presence of the Taliban. What makes polio easy to eradicate is the fact that it is not a zoonosis and the fact that it is now only present in three countries. However, unlike smallpox, the symptoms aren't readily apparent. The other contenders for eradication is the guinea worm, and of course, measles.

The rest of the article covers a history of polio in the US, from the use of the the iron lungs to treat kids to the foundation of the March of Dimes. This section is also of interest to us-with these sad stories about paralysis and tragic deaths, this shows how much good we can do by finally getting rid of polio.

Measles Case Awareness

A recent case of measles has been confirmed in Albany, New York. Many officials in the area are advising New Yorkers to get vaccinated against measles as the school that this boy attends has a very high rate of people who have not been vaccinated due to exemptions given by the school, regardless of the fact that the school requires kids to get vaccinated. Those that are unvaccinated are being excluded from the school for a period of 21 days as a means of preventing those from contracting and spreading the disease. The article continues to summarize the aspects of measles but it will be interesting to see if this case causes an outbreak.

http://www.empirestatenews.net/News/20120922-2.html