Global Health Press

The world’s first mRNA vaccine for deadly bacteria

For the first time in the world a team of researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Israel Institute for Biological Research have developed an mRNA-based vaccine that is 100% effective against a type of...

Global Health Cast Edition 30

Thirtieth Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Sanicas. 00:00 Introduction 00:55 COVID-19 update 03:12 PASC/PCC/longCovid/postCovid(?) in cancer patients 05:57 Bats and viruses...

Temperature-stable TB vaccine safe, prompts immune response in NIH-supported study

A clinical trial testing a freeze-dried, temperature-stable experimental tuberculosis (TB) vaccine in healthy adults found that it was safe and stimulated both antibodies and responses from the cellular arm of...

Tend to get sick when the air is dry? New research helps explain why

Recent research from CU Boulder may have finally revealed why humans tend to get sick from airborne viral diseases more often in drier environments. Published in December in PNAS-Nexus, the study found that...

Roadmap outlines a framework for moving COVID-19 vaccines forward

In a recent report published in Vaccine, researchers presented the coronavirus vaccines research and development roadmap (CVR) to promote the development of broadly protective coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID...

The one-shot cervical cancer vaccine paradigm

The WHO recommends that healthcare systems worldwide implement single-dose vaccine programs to help eliminate cervical cancer. On December 20, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated its...

Climate change is increasing the risk of infectious diseases worldwide

From COVID to Lyme disease to various fungal afflictions, climate change has already worsened over 200 infectious diseases. Heat waves, floods, droughts, and rising temperatures fueled by climate change have...

The race to an RSV vaccine could soon be over, decades after the first attempt

Roughly six decades after the first attempt to develop a vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus, the Food and Drug Administration is poised to approve several shots by next winter. No RSV vaccine has ever...

Avian flu reappears in Cambodia, UN health agency warns

These are the first cases of avian influenza, known as H5N1, reported in Cambodia since a widespread outbreak in 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The infection, which largely affects animals...

Earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria: infectious diseases expected to be a concern in two to four weeks

Food and water-borne diseases, respiratory infections and vaccine-preventable infections are a risk in the upcoming period, with the potential to cause outbreaks, particularly as survivors are moving to...

Antibodies from the initial vaccination mop up booster from the body, limiting their efficacy

The original vaccinations for COVID-19 induce potent antibodies that protect against SARS-CoV-2. But a new Northwestern Medicine study shows the antibodies generated by those prior vaccinations or infections...

Collective measles virus mutations linked to fatal encephalitis

Researchers in Japan have uncovered the mechanism for how the measles virus (MeV) can cause subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, or SSPE, a rare but fatal neurological disorder that can occur several years...

Influenza A virus suppresses SARS-CoV-2 replication during co-infection

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv preprint server, researchers examine the interactions between the influenza A virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a co-infected...

Yale researchers identify biomarker key to finding new viral infections

A recent study from the Foxman lab at the Yale School of Medicine has indicated that screening patients for a certain cytokine biomarker could be a key way to identify new and dangerous viral pathogens...

Equatorial Guinea confirms first Marburg virus disease outbreak

Equatorial Guinea has confirmed its first outbreak of the Marburg virus, a highly infectious and deadly disease similar to Ebola, following the deaths of at least nine people, the World Health Organization...

The ‘Kraken’ subvariant XBB.1.5 sounds scary, but behind the headlines are clues to where COVID’s heading

The XBB.1.5 subvariant, known informally as “Kraken”, is the latest in a menagerie of Omicron subvariants to dominate the headlines, following increasing detection in the United States and United Kingdom. But...

New diagnostic test is 1,000 times more sensitive than conventional tests

When Srikanth Singamaneni and Guy Genin, both professors of mechanical engineering and materials science at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, established a new...

Scientists discover receptor that blocks COVID-19 infection

University of Sydney scientists have discovered a protein in the lung that blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection and forms a natural protective barrier in the human body. The research opens up an entirely new area of...

Experimental vaccine would be the first to fight off fungi

Scientists at the University of Georgia say they’ve developed a vaccine that should be able to protect against a variety of dangerous fungi. In animal studies, the vaccine prevented severe infections and...

The impact of viral infections on the human endocrine system

In a recent study published in Microorganisms, researchers briefly outlined how viral infections trigger endocrinopathies in humans. Viruses can transiently or permanently damage endocrine organs by directly...

Global Health Cast Edition 29

Twenty-nineth Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Sanicas. 00:00 Introduction 00:56 COVID-19 update 02:40 SARS-CoV-2 Variants circulating globally 04:52 COVID-19 in China –...

Experimental NIH Sudan virus vaccine protects macaques

New inoculation based on Ebola VSV vaccine concept. A National Institutes of Health research group with extensive experience studying ebolavirus countermeasures has successfully developed a vaccine against...

New vaccine targets life-threatening fungal infections

A new vaccine from the University of Georgia could be the first clinically approved immunization to protect against invasive fungal infections, a growing concern as antifungal drug resistance increases. Fungal...

Global Health Cast Edition 28

Twenty-eighth Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Sanicas. 00:00 Introduction 01:10 COVID-19 update 03:28 China COVID-19 situation, China Center for Disease Control &...

EMJMD leading international vaccinology education students holds first ever Vaccinext symposium

On January 12, 2023, a group of Erasmus+ Mundus Joint Masters Degree in Leading International Vaccinology Education (EMJMD+ LIVE) students organized the first ever Vaccinext: Powering Next Generation Vaccines...

Experimental vaccine for deadly Marbug virus guards against infection with just a single dose

An experimental vaccine for Marburg virus—a deadly cousin of the infectious agent that causes Ebola—can protect large animals from severe infections for up to a year with a single shot, scientists have found...

New vaccine platform could ease development, delivery of virus-fighters

To many, EV stands for “electric vehicle.” To researchers at Harvard University and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, it’s shorthand for another vehicle — this one nanoscopic — that might help streamline the...

Global Health Cast Edition 27

Twenty-seventh Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Sanicas. 00:00 Introduction 01:07 COVID-19 update 05:12 The current Variants of Concern 08:19 Omicron subvariants in India vs...

Tuberculosis researchers find link between vaccine efficacy, environmental pathogens

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease of the lungs that’s been with humanity for centuries and affects a quarter of the world’s population. The stubborn disease killed over a million and a half people in 2021...

Harnessing the healing power within our cells

IMB researchers have identified a pathway in cells that could be used to reprogram the body’s immune system to fight back against both chronic inflammatory and infectious diseases. Targeting both bacteria and...

Preparing for coming RSV, influenza epidemics

Large populations are susceptible to respiratory diseases because of COVID-19 intervention policies but reinstating nonpharmaceutical interventions at the correct time can help slow the spread Governments...

Researchers create anti-COVID cleaning spray

University of Queensland researchers have developed a long lasting surface spray that has the potential to kill viruses such as COVID-19 and potentially deadly bacteria. The spray contains a protein that...

Global Health Cast Edition 26

Twenty-sixth Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt. 00:00 Introduction 00:44 Global Health Press website 02:00 VacciTUTOR 04:19 VacciBOOKS 05:46 VacciNATIONS 08:30 VacciPROFILES 09:49...

Gone fishing: highly accurate test for common respiratory viruses uses DNA as ‘bait’

A new test that ‘fishes’ for multiple respiratory viruses at once using single strands of DNA as ‘bait’, and gives highly accurate results in under an hour, has been developed by Cambridge researchers. The...

Early action needed to prevent treatment failure, Nigerian research on detectable virus levels shows

National HIV treatment programmes should not wait until people with HIV have viral loads above 1000 copies/ml to provide enhanced adherence counselling, Nigerian researchers report in the journal Lancet Global...

Mathematical model predicts long-term effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine booster doses in different patient populations

Researchers have designed a mathematical model that can predict the course of vaccine-induced immunity against COVID-19 in different patient populations—including otherwise healthy individuals and those who...

What Imperial research taught us about COVID-19 in 2022

From increased understanding of immunity to analysing the success of vaccines, we look back at what Imperial taught us about COVID-19 in 2022. Omicron infection doesn’t boost immunity much A study published in...

Malaria: Three-dose Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite (PfSPZ) vaccine shows safety, efficacy in Burkina Faso adults

A three-dose regimen of a whole-parasite vaccine against malaria – called Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite (PfSPZ) vaccine – demonstrated safety and efficacy when tested in adults living in Burkina Faso, West...

Wellcome Sanger Institute launches new initiative to better understand respiratory viruses

A new initiative to better understand respiratory viruses has been launched by the Wellcome Sanger Institute. The new Respiratory Virus & Microbiome Initiative will lay the groundwork for large-scale...

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance increased globally in 2022

Findings from new 23-country survey can help policymakers address vaccine hesitancy Global willingness to accept a COVID-19 vaccine increased from 75.2% in 2021 to 79.1% in 2022, according to a new survey of...

Global Health Cast Edition 25

Twenty-fifth Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Sanicas. 00:00 Introduction 01:24 COVID-19 update 04:32 What’s happening in China? 09:21 XBB.1.5 sub variant in the US 13:41...

Stanford Medicine scientists pinpoint COVID-19 virus’s entry and exit ports inside our noses

Somebody just coughed on you. On a plane. At a dinner party. In a supermarket line. If only there were a “morning after” nasal spray that could knock out respiratory viruses’ ability to colonize your nose and...

COVID-19 vaccines, prior infection reduce transmission of Omicron

Vaccination and boosting, especially when recent, helped to limit the spread of COVID-19 in California prisons during the first Omicron wave, according to an analysis by researchers at UC San Francisco that...

How a CRISPR protein might yield new tests for many viruses

In a first for the genetic toolset known as CRISPR, a recently discovered protein has been found to act as a kind of multipurpose self-destruct system for bacteria, capable of degrading single-stranded RNA...

Global Health Cast Edition 24

Twenty-fourth Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Sanicas. 00:00 Introduction 01:18 COVID-19 update 07:27 XBB.1.5 variant now over 41% of new cases in the US 11:39 What’s...

Global Health Cast Edition 23

Twenty-third Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Sanicas. 00:00 Introduction 01:01 COVID-19 update 06:45 “Senior wave” of COVID-19 hospitalizations 08:40 Myocarditis...

Vaccinext: Powering Next Generation Vaccines Symposium 2023

Are you a student interested in vaccine research? Do you want to learn about innovations in vaccinology? Do you aspire to pursue a PhD or a Postdoc specializing in vaccinology? On January 12, 2023 (Thursday)...

Global Health Cast Edition 22

Twenty-second Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Sanicas. 00:00 Introduction 01:03 COVID-19 update 03:22 Post COVID-19 (Long COVID) risk factors in England 06:30 Pertussis...

New mRNA vaccine to fight 20 known subtypes of influenza

An experimental mRNA-based vaccine against all 20 known subtypes of influenza virus provided broad protection from otherwise lethal flu strains in initial tests, and thus might serve one day as a general...

COVID vaccine hesitancy linked to ‘nocebo’ side effects

Vaccine hesitancy about COVID-19 vaccines is a positive predictor of negative side effects with vaccination—an example of the “nocebo” effect—according to a study  in Scientific Reports. Nocebo, a...

RCSI research explains how our body clock influences vaccine responses

Research by RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has provided new insights into the mechanism behind how our circadian 24-hour body clock influences our immune response to vaccines, depending on the...

New vaccine needed for serious childhood pneumonia

A UNSW Sydney-led medical research team has called for a new vaccine, improved strategies and enhanced monitoring to combat serious complications from childhood pneumonia. The researchers examined the impact...

Researchers identify five plasma proteins related to severe COVID-19

Just as oil is essential to keep a car’s motor running, blood is essential to keep the body functioning. The presence of particular proteins in the plasma, the liquid component of blood, may signal the...

Global Health Cast Edition 21

Twenty-first Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Sanicas. 00:00 Introduction 00:54 COVID-19 update 03:49 TBE-ISW meeting in Vienna (end November 2022) 06:01 NEW US CDC data on...

Researchers test mRNA technology for universal flu vaccine

An experimental vaccine provided broad protection against all 20 known influenza A and B virus subtypes in initial tests in mice and ferrets, potentially opening a pathway to a universal flu shot that might...

Scientists reveal key differences in immune response to inactivated virus and mRNA COVID-19 vaccines

Although the total magnitude of the T-cell responses induced by mRNA and inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are comparable, the similarity ends there. This is according to a new study led by scientists from Duke...

Unusual Zika virus-specific antibody exhibits ultrapotent neutralization

An unusual type of antibody that even at miniscule levels neutralizes the Zika virus and renders the virus infection undetectable in preclinical models has been identified by a team led by Weill Cornell...

Competition between respiratory viruses may hold off a ‘tripledemic’ this winter

Triple threat. Tripledemic. A viral perfect storm. These frightening phrases have dominated recent headlines as some health officials, clinicians, and scientists forecast that SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and...

Stanford team re-engineers virus to deliver therapies to cells

Stanford researchers have ripped the guts out of a virus and totally redesigned its core to repurpose its infectious capabilities into a safe vehicle for delivering vaccines and therapies directly where they...

Global Health Cast Edition 20

Twentieth Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Sanicas. 00:00 Introduction 00:28 Human population to grow to 8 billion for the first time today 03:00 COVID-19 update 04:57 Death...

Investigating COVID-19 deaths for children and young people

A new study conducted in England shows that the risk of death due to COVID-19 remains very low for children and young people, and most deaths occur in those with underlying health conditions. Marta Bertran of...

Global Health Cast Edition 19

Nineteenth Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Sanicas. 00:00 Introduction 01:22 COVID-19 update 03:24 COVID 19 “variant soup” 05:50 COVID-19 likely spread through floors...

Breast cancer vaccine safely generates anti-tumor immunity

Study findings suggest that a vaccine could be used to prevent or treat a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer. An experimental vaccine against breast cancer safely generated a strong immune response...

OPV protects against infectious disease mortality

Oral polio vaccine given at birth to children in resource-limited countries is safe and also may be protective against other deadly infectious diseases, according to a recent study. “Routine vaccines may have...

Effects of MVA85A vaccine on tuberculosis

A new systematic review of animal studies testing a vaccine for tuberculosis raises questions about whether the studies provided sufficient evidence to move into trials of children. The new vaccine was a virus...

China-based researchers develop rapid testing methods for monkeypox virus

Some China-based researchers have recently developed three rapid testing methods for monkeypox virus (MPXV) that can provide the result in 20 to 30 minutes and are significantly faster than the traditional...

Global Health Cast Edition 18

Eighteenth Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt, Dr. Sanicas and Dr. Florian Lienert. 00:00 Introduction 00:53 COVID-19 update 06:07 Update on SARS-CoV-2 variants / subvariants 14:01...

ACIP revises pneumococcal vaccine recommendations for aged patients

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has updated its vaccination recommendations for immunocompetent adults aged 65 years or older to extend the interval between receipt of the Prevnar 13 and...

Marburg Virus: A highly contagious and deadly virus

Emerging infectious diseases are affecting public health and economies globally. Still living in the COVID-19 pandemic and now seeing another global public health emergency with monkeypox, the world must also...

Viral infections are less frequent but more severe in people with Down syndrome due to oscillating immune response

Individuals with Down syndrome have less-frequent viral infections, but when present, these infections lead to more severe disease. New findings publishing on October 14 in the journal Immunity show that this...

Vaccine with virus-like nanoparticles found to be effective treatment for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Researchers at Georgia State University say their findings, published July 14 in the International Journal of Nanomedicine, suggest their nano-engineered vaccine induces long-term protection against...

Global Health Cast Edition 17

Seventeenth Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Sanicas. 00:00 Introduction 00:45 COVID19 epidemiology-update 02:03 COVID19 vaccination update 05:20 MPX update 06:42 COVID19:...

Independent Task Force on COVID-19 and other Pandemics: origins, prevention, and response

The Independent Task Force on COVID-19 and other Pandemics announced that their report “Pandemic Origins and a One Health Approach to Preparedness and Prevention: Solutions Based on SARS-CoV-2 and Other RNA...

Global Health Cast Edition 16

Sixteenth Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Sanicas. 00:00 Introduction 01:14 COVID19 update 03:33 Excess deaths from COVID19 in US-Republican vs. Democrats 05:50 Primary...

Other SARS-CoV-2 proteins are important for disease severity, aside from the spike

University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers have identified how multiple genes of SARS-CoV-2 affect disease severity, which could lead to new ways in how we develop future vaccines or develop newer...

Misinformation about vaccine safety drives reluctance to vaccinate children

As of late September 2022, nearly 78% of U.S. adults but only 31% of children ages 5 to 11 had completed their primary series of vaccinations against COVID-19, according to health authorities. In an open...

Global Health Cast SPECIAL 5: Healthcare in Mozambique

Fifth SPECIAL Edition on Healthcare in Mozambique of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Delphine Goux.
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Global Health Cast Edition 15

Fifteenth Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Sanicas. 00:00 Introduction 00:37 COVID19 Update 04:24 MPX Update 13:26 More on COVID19 25:02 Cartoon of the day Download...

First-in-human clinical trial confirms novel HIV vaccine approach developed by IAVI and Scripps Research

A phase 1 clinical trial testing a novel vaccine approach to prevent HIV has produced promising results, IAVI and Scripps Research announced. The vaccine showed success in stimulating production of rare immune...

Global Health Cast Edition 14

Fourteenth Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt. 00:00 Intro 01:12 Current vaccines and vaccine development 08:41 Coming soon (recently licensed & phase 3) 54:34 Think about the...

Lassa virus endemic area may expand dramatically in coming decades

New analysis by scientists at Scripps Research and University of Brussels finds that climate change and other factors could soon make deadly Lassa fever a much bigger public health problem in Africa In the...

Traditional incentives don’t offset COVID vaccine hesitancy

Neither money nor other nudges are enough to persuade vaccine-hesitant people to get the COVID-19 vaccine, a new USC study shows. The findings, published recently in the journal Vaccine, suggest the standard...

Global Health Cast SPECIAL 3: CLCI; CVS Cameroon

Third SPECIAL Edition on CLCI; CVS Cameroon of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt, Dr. Holt and Dr. Saidu.
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Newly discovered COVID‑like virus could infect humans, resist vaccines

A recently discovered virus in a Russian bat that is similar to SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19, is likely capable of infecting humans and, if it were to spillover, is resistant to current vaccines. A...

Gut microbiota in early life may affect vaccine efficacy

Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides in the gut microbiome are important to vaccine responsiveness and could be used in vaccine adjuvants in the future, a recent review shows. Gut microbiota in early life can...

Uganda declares Ebola Virus Disease outbreak

The health authorities in Uganda declared an outbreak of Ebola after a case of the Sudan ebolavirus was confirmed in Mubende district in the central part of the country. The Uganda Virus Research Institute...

Global Health Cast SPECIAL 4: CEPI

Forth SPECIAL Edition on CEPI of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt, Stig Tollefsen and Dr. Sanicas.
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Individual COVID-19 infections include multiple variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, research shows

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University found wide genetic variation in SARS-CoV-2 viruses among 360 patients whose viral infections were genetically sequenced, showing that all individual infections...

Global Health Cast Edition 13

Thirteenth Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Sanicas. 00:00 Introduction 00:53 COVID19 update 02:34 Monkeypox update 03:38 Long-term cardiac pathology after mild COVID 06:55...

New malaria vaccine with 75% efficacy a potential game-changer

A new R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine shows 75% efficacy in a Phase2b trial – a potentially game-changing result compared to the WHO-approved RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) vaccine. The WHO has said it will continue with the...

Researchers capture live footage of a virus infecting a cell

In a first, scientists have captured on video all the steps a virus follows as it enters and infects a living cell in real time and in three dimensions. They achieved the feat by using advanced imaging called...

Global Health Cast Edition 12

Twelfth Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Sanicas. 00:00 Introduction 00:52 COVID-19 update 03:06 Monkeypox update 04:51 The “antigenic sin” 07:13 Why vaccines may fail 10:23...

SARS-CoV-2 antigen levels linked to patient outcomes

The amount of SARS-CoV-2 antigen measured in the blood of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 is associated with illness severity and other clinical outcomes, according to a new study published in the Annals...

Study raises concerns about the effectiveness of the monkeypox vaccine

An new study is raising concerns about the effectiveness of the monkeypox vaccine being used in the United States and other parts of the world. The work, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, found that two...

mRNA COVID vaccines protect against severe Omicron for at least half a year

COVID-19 mRNA booster vaccines offered protection against severe COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant for at least 6 months, and three doses of China’s inactivated vaccines were more protective than...

Global Health Cast Edition 11

Eleventh Edition of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt and Dr. Sanicas. 00:00 Introduction 00:50 COVID-19 update 02:02 Monkeypox update 03:24 Duration of COVID19-induced loss of smell and taste...

Global Health Cast SPECIAL 2: Vaccelerate Volunteer Registry

Second SPECIAL Edition on Vaccelerate Volunteer Registry of the Global Health Cast presented by Prof. Schmitt, Dr. Zoe Pana, Janina Leckler and Prof. Cornely. Download PDF: Video Presentation Click here for...

Travel alert for Chikungunya Virus

Chikungunya virus is endemic in the Indonesian archipelago, and sporadic cases are reported from various islands, including Bali. Bali is a favorite tourist destination, and visitors should be aware of the...

Universal flu vaccine protects against variants of both influenza A and B viruses, biomedical sciences researchers find

A new universal flu vaccine protects against diverse variants of both influenza A and B viruses in mice, according to a new study by researchers in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State...