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Vaccines
How SA’s childhood vaccination system can become great
The two public health interventions that have had the greatest impact on the world’s health are clean water and vaccines, write Professors Susan Goldstein...
Mpox: 'Nobody is safe until Africa is safe'
The mpox outbreak in Africa is still not under control, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has warned, adding that...
Man died after AstraZeneca vaccine offered in error by NHS, inquiry finds
A British man died in agony three weeks after receiving the AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab, having been given the vaccine despite not being eligible, an...
FDA approves DIY nasal spray flu vaccine
The US Food and Drug Administration has given the green light to the first at-home flu vaccine, a nasal spray that US consumers with...
mRNA cancer vaccine shows promise in trial
Scientists say they are pleased with the interim data from the phase I dose escalation part of the mRNA cancer jab (mRNA-4359) trial, which,...
One dose of smallpox jab cuts mpox risk – Canadian study
Recent research suggests that receiving a single dose of one type of smallpox vaccine could reduce the risk of catching mpox by around 60%,...
Aspen urges co-operation for local production of mpox vaccines
With Africa under immense pressure to curb an outbreak of the mpox, Aspen Pharmacare is “in talks” with partners to manufacture vaccines at its...
Africa still awaiting mpox jabs from the West, despite promises
Despite the thousands of mpox doses promised to Africa, no vaccines have yet been delivered to any of the countries affected by the outbreak...
Cancer jab using immune system’s ‘killer’ cells on the cards – UK study
Scientists are working on a “breakthrough” cancer vaccine after discovering how the body’s immune system targets cells devastated by the disease, according to the researchers from the University...
Measles closes Northern Cape schools
Four schools were closed in the Northern Cape on Thursday last week after an outbreak of measles, with cases having rapidly escalated from 16...
Déjà vu global response to mpox
African countries affected by the latest mpox outbreak are racing to mobilise funds and urgently deploy medical countermeasures, including vaccines, as cases continue to...
No need to panic, say SA experts as DRC buckles under mpox spread
The outbreak of mpox on the African continent – that spurred the WHO into declaring it an international public health emergency last week –...
Do vaccines lead to more flare ups in lupus patients?
The benefits of flu and other vaccines for people with lupus appear to outweigh the risks of them suffering adverse events, or flares, which...
Urgent global action needed stop Mpox pandemic
Experts have appealed to the international community for help in controlling the deadly strain of the mpox virus that is rapidly spreading across Africa’s...
Shingles jab may help ward off dementia – UK study
Being immunised against shingles has previously been linked to a reduced risk of dementia, and a recent study now suggests that the newer vaccine...
What declining childhood vaccine rates mean for SA
New data from the WHO and Unicef show that globally childhood immunisation coverage stalled in 2023, while in South Africa it actually decreased, writes...
First trimester Covid exposure, jab, not tied to birth defects risk
Neither Covid-19 infection nor vaccination during the first trimester of pregnancy is associated with increased risk of major birth defects, found a study of...
SA data track shows how pathogens spread and superbugs evolve
For the first time, researchers have been able to precisely quantify the ability of different pneumococcal strains to survive and reproduce, an insight that...
WHO suggests therapeutic HPV jabs to scale up vaccination
While a vaccine already exists to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV), the main cause of cervical cancer, more than 20 therapeutic HPV vaccine candidates are...
CDC updates age criteria for RSV jabs
The US Centres for Disease Control & Prevention has narrowed its recommendation for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines in older adults this year –...
HPV one-dose jab campaign to now include private schools
The Department of Health has announced that it is moving from a two-dose to a single-dose HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine regimen and that...
Local drugmakers must move to top of registration queue – SAHPRA
In a plan that would have significant implications for the local pharmaceutical industry, the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) wants to initiate a...
Don't delay mpox vaccine roll-out, experts urge health authorities
Health experts say government should start the roll-out of mpox vaccines to targeted groups without delay as a third man (40) died of mpox...
Donated mpox jabs arriving soon – Phaahla
Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla says doses of the mpox vaccine will be arriving soon for free distribution at clinics – this after South...
Pfizer sued by Kansas over Covid vaccine 'misrepresentation'
The US state of Kansas has filed a lawsuit against Pfizer, accusing it of misrepresenting the safety of its Covid-19 vaccine and violating the state’s...
Wrong to label woman ‘anti-vaxxer’ for refusing Covid jab, rules UK court
A Scottish judge has ruled that the NHS must compensate an ultrasound technician after she was called an “anti-vaxxer” for refusing the Covid-19 shot...
US and Europe move to secure bird flu jabs
America and Europe are taking steps to acquire or manufacture H5N1 bird flu vaccines that could be used to protect at-risk poultry and dairy...
HPV jab effective for men against cancer, large analysis finds
A recent large analysis showed that vaccination of boys and men against the human papillomavirus (HPV) reduces their risk of head and neck cancers...
Vaccines saved 154m lives over 50 years – Lancet study
Vaccinations have played a massive role in saving millions of lives over the past half century, the successful eradication of smallpox, certified in 1980,...
South African among anti-vaxxers at African conference
The World Health Organisation came under fire as zealous right-wing African members of Parliament, including some of the continent’s most vociferous anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQI...
Genetics tied to Covid jab blood clots, say scientists
An autoimmune reaction, to which some people are predisposed, was responsible for the rare but deadly blood clots associated with the Johnson & Johnson...
African countries pledge to end ‘silent disease’
African countries will prioritise plans to eliminate hepatitis, according to a declaration signed and adopted this week at the African Viral Hepatitis Conference in Cape...
Why we’re seeing so many viruses emerge
With the widespread outbreak of mpox in 2022, and the evolving bird flu situation – as well as recent cases of Marburg virus in Equatorial...
Lest we forget, the AstraZeneca vaccine also saved millions
Last week’s announcement that AstraZeneca would no longer market its Covid vaccine brings an end to one of the century’s most remarkable medical stories.
Although...
AstraZeneca withdraws Covid jab worldwide
London-based AstraZeneca has withdrawn its Covid jab worldwide, but says the discontinuation is unrelated to legal action related to serious side effects.
“As multiple, variant...
Insufficient research on Covid jab side effects despite thousands of complaints
Increasing numbers of people are claiming to have suffered lasting side effects from Covid-19 jabs, yet they – and various experts, including medical professionals...
Popular pastor pushes malaria vax conspiracy theories
One of Africa’s best known evangelical preachers, Nigeria’s Chris Oyakhilome, is spreading the message, through sermons on his church’s YouTube channel, that malaria vaccines...
WHO prequalifies new oral cholera vaccine
The World Health Organisation has prequalified a new oral vaccine for cholera, the inactivated Euvichol-S having a similar efficacy to existing vaccines but being...
Millions of girls in Africa will miss HPV shots this year
Nearly 1.5m teenage girls in some of the world’s poorest countries will miss the chance to be protected from cervical cancer because pharmaceutical company...
Adult vaccine programmes give 19x returns, finds world report
A first-of-its-kind study has underscored the dual benefits of adult immunisation programmes, with the experts concluding that these can deliver a return of up to...