Vaccine Supply Chain, Cold Chain, and Logistics

Zika is more pernicious than public health officials anticipated. At present, it is circulating in more than 50 countries. And as of mid-May, seven countries or territories have reported cases of microcephaly or other serious birth defects linked to the virus, which is trans­mitted by mosquito bite, blood transfusion or sexual contact with an infected human. It can also be passed from mother to fetus during pregnancy.

 

On Tuesday, a woman infected with the Zika virus gave birth to a girl with microcephaly, a malformed head, in New Jersey. Federal officials say there are more than 300 pregnant women possibly infected with Zika around the country. Yet every time an emergency like this happens, public health officials must go begging bowl in hand to Congress for the funds to deal with it. And as the current squabble between Republicans and President Obama over money for the Zika virus shows, there’s no guarantee of significant or even timely relief.

 

Malappuram: Following reports of dengue fever in Kottakkal, the health department has stepped up vector-control activities in the region.

 

Recently cases of dengue were reported from Vattamkulam panchayat. Jaundice was also confirmed in over 20 persons in Palappra, Muthur, Vellaparamba and Kavupra, which border Vattamkulam.

 

Polio could be eradicated in Pakistan within months, health officials say, as a mass vaccination drive is launched.

 

A World Health Organisation spokesman told the BBC only a handful of cases have been reported this year in Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan.

The two countries are the last places where polio remains endemic.

 

It is hoped millions of children will be vaccinated over three days. Police escorts will guard against Islamist militants who oppose immunisations.

 

A new report released by the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, warns that the AIDS epidemic could be prolonged indefinitely if urgent action is not implemented within the next five years. The report, On the Fast-Track to end the AIDS epidemic, reveals that the extraordinary acceleration of progress made over the past 15 years could be lost and urges all partners to concentrate their efforts to increase and front-load investments to ensure that the global AIDS epidemic is ended as a public health threat by 2030.

 

Un comité de expertos de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) recomendó el uso de la vacuna contra el dengue elaborada por el laboratorio francés Sanofi en los países donde el virus es endémico.

 

Cette situation a forcé le haut conseil de la santé publique à mettre en place certaines recommandations en cette période de manque de doses de vaccin. En attendant un renouvellement des stocks, ce sont des injections antituberculeuses venant de Pologne qui seront utilisées.

 

 

China must strengthen regulation of its market for vaccines, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday, after a bust of an illegal black market drugs ring this month underscored the country's regulatory weaknesses.

 

Police have arrested more than 130 suspects over a scandal in which 310 million yuan ($48 million) of illegal vaccines was sold onto the market. The value of the illegal trades could be as much as $90 million.

 

Between 15 and 16 March 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 4 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, including 1 death. One of these reported cases is linked to the MERS-CoV outbreak currently occurring in a hospital in Buraidah city.

 

Details of the cases

 

Even though measles was eliminated from the U.S.—meaning the disease no longer circulated on its own within U.S. borders—16 years ago, outbreaks have continued to result from occasionally imported cases. But the disease can only spread if enough people are not vaccinated against it—and that’s precisely why the U.S. has seen an increase in measles outbreaks. In fact, well over half of people who have caught measles in the past decade and a half were unvaccinated, and most of them had refused the measles vaccine, found a recent study in JAMA.