A federal vaccine advisory group yesterday recommended that adults age 65 and older receive the Prevnar 13 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, according to a press release from Pfizer Inc., the vaccine's maker. Using the vaccine alongside the current 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine is thought to provide broader protection.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its state health partners are investigating a Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to frozen rodents used to feed pet snakes and other reptiles. So far 37 illnesses in 18 states have been reported since Jan 11, the CDC said in its outbreak announcement today
A case of H5N1 avian flu has been confirmed in a 4-year-old Cambodian boy, bringing to three that country's cases so far this year, according to a joint press release today from Cambodia's Ministry of Health (MOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The 13-valent vaccine for young kids was shown more effective than the 23-valent version for older adults.
A 66-year-old United Arab Emirates (UAE) man who owns camels has the latest confirmed case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced in a statement today.
Immunization coverage in US adults for diseases other than influenza improved modestly in a few categories in 2012, but coverage in most target groups did not improve, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today.
The largest US outbreak so far of bacteria producing the enzyme NDM (New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase), which confers resistance to most antibiotics, has been linked to a Chicago area hospital, according to the Chicago Sun-Times and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The contamination was traced to endoscopic equipment.
Three major infectious-disease societies said this week that healthcare personnel (HCP) should be required to receive all six vaccines that are recommended for them by the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
Saudi Arabia's health ministry today announced two more Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infections, one of which appears to be in a health worker with an asymptomatic infection who had contact with a confirmed case, according to a machine-translation of a statement posted on the ministry's Web site.
WHO-led malaria vaccine development group announces new goals and a wish list for future vaccines.
