We can create a public health infrastructure that is more resilient to outbreaks of viral illnesses by better understanding the nature of virus infections and how to address vaccine hesitancy.
polio
In 1938 the FDA was given regulatory authority over experimental drugs. But it wasn't until 1961 that it regulated clinical trials and their methods. In 1954, a foundation performed a methodologically controversial trial with 1.6 million children, ages 6 to 8. It was called the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis's Salk Vaccine Trial. As we hurdle at "warp speed" to a COVID-19 vaccine, perhaps we can reflect on how much has changed, or not, in our search for safe, effective vaccines.
The media reports of a polio-like condition mostly impacting children sound pretty scary. But let's give acute flaccid myelitis, also known as AFM, some well-needed context.
When is it safe to stop vaccinating against measles? Or against other rare and infectious diseases? In short, vaccinating against them can cease once the threat of future transmission is deemed sufficiently low.
Death knells are beginning to ring for poliovirus. The CDC reports that, in 2014, there were 359 new cases of wild poliovirus in nine countries. Just one year later, the number of new cases dropped to 74, a nearly 80% reduction.
The fight for polio eradication has been making a lot of progress recently but there is unfortunate news this week from the Ukraine: 2 new cases have popped up in the country.
Polio has been out of Africa for over one full year now as there has yet to be a diagnosed case in the continent since July 24, 2014. This should sound like a cause for celebration as it should signify a major milestone in the fight to eradicate the disease, however, many are still worried about the state of the eradication effort both in Africa and globally.
This past Sunday, April 12th, marked the 60th anniversary of Jonas Salk s polio vaccine being deemed safe, effective and potent after the largest clinical trial for a vaccine in history. The inactivated polio vaccine was licensed by the federal
New York State Attorney General cites American Council on Science and Health Director of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Science Dr. Josh Bloom and ACSH Advisor Dr. David Seres in criticizing dietary supplements.
Read more here.
An ongoing, early-stage trial of a viral-induced immunological suppression of a highly lethal brain cancer has yielded remarkable results in a small study. And the virus perhaps curing glioblastoma: none other than polio!
We ve said it many times in the past, and we ll say it again vaccines are a true public health miracle, banishing diseases from diphtheria to polio, which have killed hundreds of thousands in global epidemics.