A new study found that military personnel who were taught to give themselves nasal spray flu vaccinations had the same level of immunity as those who were given the vaccine by health professionals.

This is a huge step forward for MedImmune’s nasal spray vaccine, which is the preferred method of vaccination for most healthy kids aged two to eight years. However, don’t expect to be giving it to your own child anytime soon. The nasal spray may be (relatively) easy to administer, but there are still some risk factors involved.

“It’s a very interesting concept and I can definitely see some benefits” says Dr. Jonathan Temte who heads a panel that advises the CDC on vaccine policy. “Before anyone could endorse this in children, one would have to have an appropriately designed study that shows equal efficacy, equal safety, and then the acceptability.”

In this case, safety is key. Self-vaccination with nasal flu vaccine isn’t as easy as it sounds, and vaccinating children is more of a science than simply spraying something up their noses. While everyone over six months old should get a flu shot, according to the CDC, special vaccination guidelines apply to children when they receive their first vaccination, and medical history should always be reviewed before a vaccine is administered.

The nasal vaccine is also a little trickier to apply than a nasal spray you might be accustomed to using for allergies, for example. Health workers that administer the vaccine need to be sure that it has fully entered the nose and that children, and parents too, don’t squirt it out of their nose.

Whether self-vaccination will become something more common in the future is unknown due to regulatory guidelines and a lack of testing, and, as Dr. Temte put it, we are still a long way from anything definitive. However, the topic is certainly an interesting one.

So, we want to hear from you! Would you vaccinate yourself, or would you prefer the help of a professional? Feel free to leave a comment below and let us know what you would choose to do!

Sophie Blackall isn’t just the illustrator of the very popular “Ivy and Bean” series of children’s books, she is also a huge proponent of measles vaccination. As part of that effort, she is now working with the American Academy of Pediatrics to create engaging posters that feature her characters. The AAP hopes doctors will post these around their offices to make vaccination resonate with their young patients..

“We wanted to give doctors something that would speak to the kids, something funny and eye-catching that they can put up in the waiting room and that families can discuss,” said Blackall in an interview with NPR. “It sometimes gets lost in the whole noise about children’s health, but it’s so important.”

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease which causes fever, runny nose, cough, and a rash all over the body. About one out of 10 children with measles also gets an ear infection, and up to one out of 20 children who gets infected also gets pneumonia. For every 1,000 children who get measles, one to two will die. Indeed, measles is a serious matter, and children should be aware of this potential threat.

As Blackall points out, measles is an entirely preventable disease that can be avoided through basic vaccination and a focus on personal health.

Over the last year, the world has seen a resurgence in measles in areas that used to be relatively free of the disease, with outbreaks in the United States (Ohio) and the United Kingdom (Wales). The disease is still endemic to some less developed regions as well. Lack of vaccination is seen as a main cause for both the resurgence and persistence of the disease.

We would like to hear from you! What other children’s characters, or even adult characters, do you think could be useful in a campaign like this? Feel free to post them below in the comments or over on our Facebook page!

The word anthrax typically conjures up terrifying thoughts of a potentially deadly infection or a bioterrorist attack. Luckily, there is a vaccine to prevent anthrax. Although few commercial vendors stock this vaccine, it is available at Passport Health clinic locations nationwide. Interestingly, in the near future, a benefit may come from this deadly disease, as current research suggests that anthrax might be a means of killing cancer.

A team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has discovered that bacillus anthracis, the bacteria that can lead to a deadly anthrax infection, can be re-engineered as a delivery system for administering cancer-fighting drugs. In a paper released in ChemBioChem, the MIT researchers showed how a disarmed version of anthrax could deliver antibody drugs to the cells most in need in order to aid their fight against cancer.

“Anthrax toxin is a professional at delivering large enzymes into cells,” said Bradley Pentelute, a researcher on the project. “We wondered if we could render anthrax toxin nontoxic, and use it as a platform to deliver antibody drugs into cells.”

By removing the harmful sides of the anthrax bacteria, Pentelute and his team were able to create a delivery system that is far more efficient than what has been previously used in biotechnology.

While these findings are quite promising, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done on the project. The team is now trying to treat tumors in mice and is working on ways to deliver the antibody-carrying bacteria to specific types of cells.

“This work represents a prominent advance in the drug-delivery field,” said Jennifer Cochran, an associate professor of bioengineering at Stanford University. “Given the efficient protein delivery Pentelute and colleagues achieved with this technology compared to [others]…studies to translate these findings into in vivo disease models will be highly anticipated.”

The Anthrax vaccine has been licensed in the US since 1970, but this new finding is a promising step forward for cancer research and research related to the deadly bacteria.

For more information on anthrax, contact a Passport Health vaccine specialist either through our website or by calling 1-888-499-PASS (7277).

Pneumonia is a potentially deadly disease that kills millions each year, including an estimated 1.1 million children across the globe. World Pneumonia Day, held each year on November 12, is an effort to change that. The day has been created to raise awareness of the disease as well as raise funds to help pneumonia prevention efforts in the developing world, where almost 99% of pneumonia deaths take place.

Part of what makes World Pneumonia Day unique and important is its focus on not just pneumonia but on other emerging respiratory diseases as well. For example, Enterovirus EV-D68 is a virus that can be life threatening that was discovered earlier this year. The CDC hopes that efforts like World Pneumonia Day can raise money to help in the development of a vaccine or cure for new respiratory diseases like this one to prevent further spread.

Unlike EV-D68, there are vaccines, preventive measures, and medicines designed to help prevent and treat pneumonia throughout the world. According to the World Health Organization, antibiotics like amoxicillin can be used in the treatment of pneumonia patients and cost less than $0.50 for each treatment course. There are also vaccines against pneumonia, as well as vaccines for pertussis, measles and Hib which are the leading causes of pneumonia, especially among children in the developing world.

The groups behind World Pneumonia Day believe that with an increase in vaccine coverage in the developing world, almost 3 million lives can be saved and more than 52 million cases prevented. But, they also hope to do more than simply vaccinate. For them, the mission is three fold.

The sponsors of World Pneumonia Day hope to: raise awareness about pneumonia, the world’s leading killer of children under the age of five; promote interventions to protect against, prevent and treat pneumonia; and generate action to combat pneumonia.

The Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia is the leading partner in this effort and helps provide leadership to the other 140 plus NGOs, academic institutions, governmental agencies and foundations that have given their support to this day of awareness.

Pneumonia itself is carried in two forms, bacterial and viral. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia in children. Adults and children that spend excessive time in biomass heated areas (wood or dung), live in crowded homes, or are frequently around smokers have the highest chances of contracting the disease. The most common symptoms are coughing, fever, shaking chills and shortness of breath.

For more information on World Pneumonia Day visit this website, and for additional information on pneumonia and a list of locations at which you can receive the pneumonia vaccine, please visit the Passport Health website. We also invite you to share how you would like to help the fight against pneumonia below in our comments section.

Throughout Asia, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a dangerous viral disease. Spread by mosquitoes, the virus is usually asymptomatic, but, for about 1 in 250, it can develop into a more acute illness. Symptoms include fever, headache and other flu like indicators, but, if allowed to progress into an acute state, it can result in muscle wasting, stroke-like symptoms, seizures, and, for 20-30% of acute cases, even death can result.

Unlike malaria, another tropical disease, there is a JE vaccine that can help any traveler to the endemic regions feel safe while enjoying his or her stay.

The JE vaccine available in North America is designed for those individuals that may be traveling to endemic zones during peak season (generally May to October), long-term trips, or for extensive outdoor activity where potential for exposure is higher. The Centers for Disease Control do not recommend the vaccine to short term (less than one month) travelers who will stay primarily within urban areas.

Just last year, the World Health Organization approved the use of the vaccine for children allowing anyone who might need the vaccine, and would be capable of receiving it, to have its protection.

If a traveler to Asia does need immunization, Japanese encephalitis requires two doses given 28 days apart. However, it is suggested that if an individual will be staying long term and will not be able to receive both doses before leaving that the traveler receive at least one dose prior to departure and make arrangements to have the other in-country.

Though vaccination is the best option when dealing with a disease like JE, some other measures are also suggested, especially for those individuals for whom vaccination is not recommended:

• Whenever possible, wear long sleeve shirts and long pants to avoid mosquito bites. Where this is not possible due to climate or activity, be sure to use repellant.
  

• Use insect repellents with DEET to ward off mosquitos. A concentration of at least 30% will be effective for 5-6 hours. Much like sunscreen, any contact with water, including excessive sweating, will require re-application.
  

• Other repellants like citronella candles and permethrin can be used to ward off insects for longer periods of time.
  

• Using mosquito nets where appropriate is suggested in JE endemic regions.

Be sure to consult with a Passport Health Travel Specialist or your healthcare provider before receiving a Japanese Encephalitis vaccination.

What are your thoughts on JE? What precautions have you found to be most effective when dealing with mosquito-borne illnesses? Comment below with your thoughts!