Health

Oral Polio Vaccine Linked to Thousands of Polio Cases Since 2017

For decades, health officials around the world have used billions of drops of an oral polio vaccine in a remarkably effective campaign aimed at wiping disease.

Now, in a surprising twist in the decades-long effort to eradicate the virus, authorities in Israel, the US and UK have discovered that polio is spreading in their countries.

What was the original source of the virus? The oral Polio vaccine itself.

Scientists have known about this very rare phenomenon for a very long time. This is why some countries have switched to different polio vaccines. As the world inches closer to eradicating the disease, these incidental infections from the oral formula become more evident.

The polio cases from the oral vaccine come as the number of polio cases caused by the wild, or naturally circulating, virus plummets.

The World Health Organization and its partners have reported 396 cases of polio caused by the wild virus since 2017, compared to more than 2,600 cases linked to vaccine-derived polio.

A Columbia University professor who has studied polio eradication explained, “We are basically replacing the wild virus with vaccine derived polio, which is now leading to new outbreaks”. In my opinion, countries like the United Kingdom and the United States will be able to stop transmission quite quickly, but we also thought that about monkeypox.”

This is the first time in several years that vaccine-connected polio has been discovered in highly developed countries.

Paralyzing Polio Virus Found in Sewage

Earlier this year, Israeli officials discovered polio in an unvaccinated 3-year-old who suffered paralysis. There were a number of other children with the virus, nearly all of whom had not been vaccinated.

In June, British authorities reported finding evidence that the virus was spreading in sewage, but no people had been infected. The government announced last week that booster shots would be offered to children ages 1 to 9 in London.

Last month, New York officials revealed that an unvaccinated young adult suffered paralysis in his legs after contracting polio. The virus has also been found in New York sewers, suggesting that it is spreading. However, officials believe the state’s high vaccination rate should provide sufficient protection, so they are not planning a booster campaign.

It was revealed that all the viruses in the three countries were “vaccine-derived,” meaning that they were mutated versions of an oral vaccine virus through an inactivated polio vaccine.

Since 1988, two drops of the oral polio vaccine have been administered directly into the mouths of children because it is cheap, easy to administer, and better at protecting entire populations. The oral vaccine contains a weakened form of the live polio virus.

However, the oral vaccine can also cause polio in two to four children out of every million doses. It is necessary to receive four doses to be fully immunized. The weakened virus can mutate into a more dangerous form in rare cases, especially in places with poor sanitation.

Countries Switched to Polio Vaccine Through Injection

In most cases, these outbreaks are caused by people who have been vaccinated shedding live viruses in their feces. Viruses can spread within communities and develop into forms that can paralyze people and start epidemics over time.

To avoid such risks, most countries that eliminated polio switched to injectable vaccines decades ago; the Nordic countries and the Netherlands never used oral vaccines.

The World Health Organization’s ultimate goal is to move the entire world to polio shots once wild polio has been eradicated. Nevertheless, some scientists argue that it should be done sooner than later.

Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Vaccine Education Center,told AP: “We probably wouldn’t have gotten on top of polio without the oral polio vaccine, but this is the price we’re paying now.” “Now we need to eliminate the oral vaccine in order to eradicate polio.”

The World Health Organization’s polio department director, Dr. Aidan O’Leary, said the discovery of the disease spreading to London and New York was a major surprise. polio vaccine CDC

He said WHO health officials have been working in Afghanistan and Pakistan to eradicate the disease, where health workers have been killed for immunizing children.

The oral polio vaccine is credited with reducing paralysis in children dramatically. Approximately 350,000 cases of wild polio were reported each year when the global eradication effort began in 1988. There have been 19 cases of wild polio this year, all in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Mozambique.

In 2020, there were more than 1,100 cases of polio linked to the oral vaccine in dozens of countries. So far this year there have been approximately 200 cases.

The WHO last year also began using a newer polio vaccine containing a live, weakened virus that scientists believe is less likely to mutate and become dangerous. There are, however, limited supplies.

According to experts, more vaccination is needed in Britain, the U.S. and Israel to end polio. The WHO worries it could be challenging in the post COVID-19 era.

Monkeypox Vaccine: Can It Stop The Current Outbreak?

Health

Report Causes Pfizer Stock to Climb Approximately $1 Billion Acquired by Starboard

(VOR News) – According to a rumor that activist investor Pfizer Starboard Value has taken a holding in the struggling pharmaceutical business that is expected to be worth around one billion dollars, the stock of Pfizer (PFE) is on the increase in premarket trading on Monday.

This comes after the report was made public. The report was made available to the general public following this. Starboard Value was successful in moving forward with the acquisition of the position.

Starboard is said to have approached Ian Read, a former chief executive officer of Pfizer, and Frank D’Amelio, a former chief financial officer, in order to seek assistance with its goals of boosting the performance of the company, according to the Wall Street Journal. Read and D’Amelio are both former Pfizer executives.

The purpose of this is to facilitate the accomplishment of its objectives, which include enhancing the overall performance of the firm.

In their previous jobs, D’Amelio and Read were chief financial officers.

It is stated in the report that the hedge fund is of the opinion that Pfizer, which is currently being managed by Albert Bourla, who succeeded Read as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2019, does not demonstrate the same level of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) discipline that Read did. Bourla took over for Read in 2019. Read was succeeded by Bourla in the year 2019.

Pfizer, a multinational pharmaceutical conglomerate, has made substantial investments in the acquisition of more companies that are involved in the research and development of cancer medicines.

These businesses have been acquired for billions of dollars. The biotechnology company Seagen, which was acquired by Pfizer in the previous year for a price of $43 billion, is included in this category. One of the businesses that can be classified as belonging to this category is Seagen.

In spite of the fact that the S&P 500 Index experienced a 21% increase in 2024.

No major trading occurred in Pfizer stock that year.

Due to the fact that the demand for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines fell after the firm reached its pandemic peak in 2021, the share price of the corporation has decreased by over fifty percent since that time.

This drop has occurred ever since the company’s shares reached their maximum peak, which was during the time that this decline occurred. Not only have they not changed at all, but they have also remained essentially stable. This is in contrast to the S&P 500, which has gained 21% since the beginning of this year.

Recently, the corporation was forced to take a hit when it decided to recall all of the sickle cell illness medications that it had distributed all over the world.

Fears that the prescription could lead patients to experience severe agony and possibly even death were the impetus for the decision to recall the product. In spite of the fact that Pfizer’s stock is increasing by almost three percent as a result of the news that followed the company’s decision, this is the circumstance that has come about.

SOURCE: IPN

Health

New Study Reveals Drinking Soda Pop Increases the Risk of Stroke

If you drink too much soda, fruit juice and coffee, beware!

A recent report from global research indicates that excessive consumption of coffee or soda pop is associated with an increased risk of stroke, although the intake of black and green tea is correlated with a reduced risk. Excessive consumption of soda pop or coffee warrants caution!

Recent research indicates that it may substantially elevate the risk of stroke.

Consuming four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke, according to studies, although ingesting 3-4 cups of black or green tea daily typically offers protection against stroke. Additionally, consume more coffee; it may reduce your risk of mortality.

Recent findings from global research studies co-led by the University of Galway and McMaster University, alongside an international consortium of stroke researchers, indicate that soda, encompassing both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened variants such as diet or zero sugar, is associated with a 22 percent heightened risk of stroke. The risk escalated significantly with the consumption of two or more of these beverages daily.

Stroke Risk Fizzy Drinks and Soda Pop

The correlation between fizzy drinks consumption and stroke risk was most pronounced in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Women exhibit the most elevated risk of stroke from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage) associated with fruit juice beverages. Consuming over 7 cups of water daily diminishes the likelihood of stroke due to a clot.

Researchers observed that numerous items advertised as fruit juice are derived from concentrates and have added sugars and preservatives, potentially negating the advantages often associated with fresh fruit and instead elevating stroke risk.

Fruit juice beverages were associated with a 37 percent heightened risk of stroke resulting from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage). Consuming two of these beverages daily increases the risk thrice.

Consuming over four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke by 37 percent, although lower consumption levels do not correlate with stroke risk. Conversely, tea consumption was associated with an 18-20 percent reduction in stroke risk. Additionally, consuming 3-4 cups daily of black tea, such as Breakfast and Earl Grey varieties, excluding green and herbal teas, was associated with a 29 percent reduced risk of stroke.

Consuming 3-4 cups of green tea daily was associated with a 27 percent reduction in stroke risk. Notably, the addition of milk may diminish or inhibit the advantageous effects of antioxidants present in tea. The lower risk of stroke associated with tea consumption was negated for individuals who added milk.

Disclaimer: This article is intended solely for informational reasons and should not be considered a replacement for professional medical counsel. Consistently consult your physician regarding any inquiries pertaining to a medical problem.

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Health

Following a Diagnosis of Breast Cancer, What Else Should You Know?

(VOR News) – Even though breast cancer affects one in eight American women, receiving a diagnosis can make a woman feel isolated.

Experts in breast cancer from the American College of Physicians (ACS) advise patients on how to manage their disease so that they may better cope with this awful information.

First, the kind and stage of breast cancer dictates the course of your care.

In addition to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, there are various surgical options available for the treatment of breast cancer.

Women of African descent are disproportionately affected by triple-negative breast cancer, an extremely aggressive form of the disease that has never proven easy to treat.

According to the American Cancer Society, pembrolizumab (Keytruda), an immunotherapy, has been shown to be helpful when combined with chemotherapy and is currently the recommended course of treatment for certain combinations of triple-negative breast cancer.

In her presentation, Dr. Katharine Yao said, “It’s really important that the patient and physician discuss the patient’s preferences and values when deciding what type of treatment to pursue and that they have an honest, individualized discussion with their care team.”

She is currently responsible for developing breast cancer treatment recommendations for more than 575 hospitals and institutions nationwide in her role as chair of the American College of Surgeons’ National Accreditation Program for Breast Institutions (NAPBC).

Yao, vice chair of research at Endeavor Health NorthShore Hospitals in New York, pointed out that each decision made about a patient’s treatment plan should take her preferences and diagnosis into consideration.

She ought to think about whether she would prefer a mastectomy—a surgical procedure that involves removing the entire breast with or without reconstruction—or a lumpectomy, which involves a surgical procedure that spares part of the breast tissue.

She stated that “the breast cancer you have may be very different from the breast cancer you hear about in your neighbor, colleague, or friend” in a press release issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS).

“Consider that while discussing breast cancer with others.”

Throughout your journey, it is critical that you look after your emotional health because having breast cancer may have a detrimental impact on your mental health.

“Getting a cancer diagnosis does not mean that everything in your life stops to be normal.” Director of the Fellowship in the Diseases of the Breast program at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas and state head of the American Cancer Society Commission on Cancer for Arkansas, Dr. Daniela Ochoa She thinks adding the burden of a cancer diagnosis and treatment to all the other pressures in life may be taxing.

“Managing stress and emotional health is vital component of a treatment plan.”

Ochoa recommends clinically trained psychologists and social workers who have assisted people in coping with cancer to anyone receiving treatment. Learning coping techniques might also be facilitated by joining cancer support groups or cancer wellness initiatives.

Breast cancer specialists say your care team is crucial.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) defines comprehensive care as having support at every stage of the procedure from surgeons, oncologists, patient navigators, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other specialists.

After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, women should see a surgeon or medical oncologist to explore their options; nevertheless, treatment shouldn’t be discontinued after just one appointment or after surgery is over.

Additionally, you can ask trustworthy friends or family members to accompany you to appointments and aid you with research or notes. They could serve as a network of support for you.

Yao stated in his talk that “one of the most important things is that patients should search out a team they have confidence in, that they trust will have their back when they need it, and a team they feel they can get access to and that will help them when they are in need.”

SOURCE: MP