Showing posts with label vaccination. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vaccination. Show all posts

Friday, June 14, 2019

Difficulties in Developing a Vaccine Against Norovirus

Norovirus is considered the leading cause of foodborne illness in the US.  The main reasons for this is how easily it spreads (acute onset vomiting), low infectious dose, and ability to remain active in the environment.  Another key is that the body does not easily become immune to the virus, and with that, there are no available vaccines.

The reason for this is the changing complexity of the outer capsid structure.  This shell changes structure significantly from strain to strain.  And of course this structure is what antibodies find and lock onto in order to eliminate from the body.

Technology Networks
https://www.technologynetworks.com/biopharma/news/steps-towards-a-food-poisoning-vaccine-320589
Norovirus Structure Far More Complex Than First Thought 
News   Jun 13, 2019 |

Monday, February 9, 2015

Measles Vaccination - Science versus Politicians

This past week, a number of political candidates have put their support behind parental choice when it comes to vaccination.  This goes against the science in order to secure political points in the name of 'freedom'.  

There are growing numbers of people who are avoiding giving their children vaccinations and this has led to measles cases in different parts of the country including California and New Jersey.
The unwillingness of some politicians to understand the science or to communicate the real risks should raise questions as to whether these individuals should be given leadership roles that can impact the overall wellbeing of the nation's citizenry.

This nice National Geographic piece (below) provides an overview of how we got to this point and the impact of having unvaccinated children.


National Geographic
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/02/150206-measles-vaccine-disney-outbreak-polio-health-science-infocus/
The Anti-Vaccine Generation: How Movement Against Shots Got Its Start
Mistrust and misinformation give a shot in the arm to measles vaccine naysayers.

Laura Parker
National Geographic
Published February 6, 2015

You could call New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul members of the "vax generation."