Health Awareness
Value of Vaccines 2020
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Collaboration – the key to efficient vaccine development
Global partnerships are essential for accelerated development of urgently needed vaccines. The COVID-19 pandemic has sorely reminded us that there is no time to lose when developing vaccines for a world in desperate need. Given the complexity and interdisciplinarity of vaccine development, international research collaboration has proven key for overcoming the scientific, financial and social...
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How to improve vaccine access in the US healthcare system
Ensuring the highest possible vaccine uptake across the population of the US requires navigating the fragmented nature of the country’s healthcare coverage and delivery system. “I’ve worked in vaccines for around 15 years,” says Richard Hughes, Managing Director and the Vaccines Leader at Avalere Health, a Washington DC-based advisory firm specialising in strategy, policy, and...
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How to ensure quality in vaccine development
The COVID-19 pandemic means that it’s more important than ever to minimise sources of variability in the assay – or, quality control – process, and so lead to the design of a better, more robust product. The vaccine sector is highly regulated, notes Dr Nathaniel Hentz, Director of Scientific Market Development at Artel, a company...
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Collaboration & community: confronting vaccine-preventable diseases
The impact of COVID-19, still tragically being felt, brings to the fore the potentially devastating effects of diseases for which there is no prevention or cure. The focus now is on finding a vaccine or treatment in response to a pandemic that has been overwhelming. It is unlikely that this will be the last new...
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“More ‘real-world’ efficacy studies are needed”
Leading vaccine expert Adrian Wildfire outlines the changes needed to ensure more vaccines coming into the market do ‘what they say on the tin’. Discussing the immediate need for more effective vaccines – designed to combat seasonal epidemics like influenza and the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic currently circling the globe – has perhaps never been so timely....
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“The coronavirus is the wake-up call to adopt new technology”
A new method for rapidly measuring viral infectivity can help speed up the development of vaccines and antiviral therapies and improve diagnostics —which are vitally important in a pandemic. In normal times, the general public doesn’t give much thought to the speed of vaccine production. But, these are not normal times; the rapid spread of...
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The simple solution for saving lives: invest in vaccines
As we take stock of the year gone by, one word comes up repeatedly: measles. From early 2019, measles outbreaks, resulting in death and suffering, swept through the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Madagascar, the Philippines, Ukraine and Samoa. Measles claimed over 6,000[1] lives in DRC, most of whom were children. UNICEF, along with partners...
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Inside the world of vaccine testing – and why it matters
Vaccinations are responsible for the eradication of some of the most dreaded diseases in history – but how do scientists make sure each batch is safe? Developing new vaccines to fight emerging diseases is critical for the survival of the human race – and making sure they are pure is a huge part of that....
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The importance of vaccines for all
As COVID-19 continues to spread, the topic of a vaccine is repeatedly raised, although it is unlikely one will be available for at least a year. However, World Immunisation Week (24-30 April) gives us the opportunity to reflect on the remarkable impact vaccination has already had on global society. Immunisation is one of the most...
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An overview of the Ebola virus
The 2013-2016 Ebola virus (EBOV) epidemic caused international alarm due to its rapid and extensive spread, resulting in a significant death toll and social unrest in West Africa. Public Health England (PHE) was involved early in the West African outbreak, establishing a laboratory to support the Médecins Sans Frontières treatment centre in Guéckédou, Guinea in...
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Going hiking or camping in Europe? Are you aware of tick-borne encephalitis?
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a vaccine preventable disease found in parts of northern, central and eastern Europe and Asia. Many UK travellers are unaware of this disease. TBE is a viral infection usually transmitted by the bite of an infected Ixodes tick. Less commonly, the disease can also be transmitted by consuming infected, unpasteurised dairy...
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“Vaccines have become a victim of their own success”
A sense of complacency could be contributing to a decline in vaccine uptake rates.1 Read how increased public awareness and improved access to health services could be key in reversing the trend. “The trouble with vaccines,” says Philip Cruz, UK Vaccines Medical Director at GSK, “is that they have become a victim of their own...
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Why the insect cell system is a boost for vaccine development
To combat emerging diseases, it’s crucial that vaccines and diagnostic assays can be made available quickly and cost-effectively. One protein expression platform does just that. “The World Health Organization (WHO) has a list of emerging diseases,” says Linda King, Professor of Virology at Oxford Brookes University and founder of Oxford Expression Technologies, which provides products,...
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Celebrating the UK’s role in vaccine development
The UK is a world leader in vaccine research and development, but fresh investment is vital to ensure progress continues. When it comes to vaccine innovation, the UK has much to be proud of – from Edward Jenner’s discovery of a smallpox vaccine back in the eighteenth century, right through to current research around coronaviruses....
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A spotlight on monkeypox
Within one week in 2018, the UK had two unrelated cases of monkeypox in individuals returning from Nigeria. There was also transmission to a third person – a healthcare worker – the first occurrence of person-to-person transmission recorded outside of Africa. Monkeypox is a rare viral infection, from the same family of viruses as smallpox....
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Beyond childhood: the case for life-course immunisation
Is it possible to protect all populations from certain diseases, while keeping health system expenses within a reasonable range? Let’s look at implementing a life-course approach to immunisation… The global population continues to age. In 2020, children under five years will be outnumbered by people of 60 or more years, says the World Health Organization....
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Pneumonia: the preventable health crisis the world has neglected
Every year, 800,000 children die of pneumonia, a well-known but often-neglected disease. Though effective treatment and preventive vaccines exist, pneumonia remains the leading infectious cause of death for children. Despite the high death toll, bacterial pneumonia – which is particularly serious for kids – only receives about 2% of global funding for neglected disease research...
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The importance of vaccination – polio case study
Vaccination – one of the greatest and most cost-effective global health achievements – saves five lives every minute. It has led to the global elimination of smallpox, reduced global child mortality rates, and prevented countless lifelong disabilities such as paralysis from polio. So, why are we seeing more and more outbreaks of viral diseases, despite...
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Our best weapons against pandemics are vaccines
From measles to the next unknown pandemic, medical immunisations remain an essential component to the sustainable control of infectious diseases. First, however, they must be available and accepted. The vaccine development era of last century ushered in the ambitious global public health era of this century. This led to the eradication of smallpox and the...
