Archive for the ‘Allergy & Immunology’ Category

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of US-based non-profit health and environmental groups just released a report regarding contamination of Halloween face paints by heavy metals. Although the CDC recommends against using cosmetics which contain lead on children, there’s no way of telling whether the paints contain toxic metals since they are not required to be listed on product labels (there is no legal requirement to list them because they’re considered contaminants, not  ingredients). The group looked at 10 children’s face paint brands and found:

• 10 out of 10 children’s face paints contained lead at levels between 0.05 and 0.65 parts per million (ppm).
• 6 out of 10 children’s face paints contained nickel, cobalt and/or chromium at levels between 1.6 to 120 ppm (this is much higher than the industry safety standard of 1 ppm said the report). These metals can be allergens in children.
• Snazaroo Face Paint contained some of the highest levels of lead, nickel and cobalt found in the study. This product carries the words “non-toxic” and “hypoallergenic” on its label.

Continue reading at Medical News Today.

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Last month researchers from the US Army and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases announced the successful trial of a new HIV vaccine. However, because the study was based on very few cases, skeptics argued whether the vaccine had any effect after all. Fast forward to this week’s AIDS Vaccine 2009 meeting in Paris where researchers reviewed more data from the trial and found the claims in which the vaccine reduced HIV infection rates by 31% were sound. Additionally, it appears that the vaccine actually was even more effective during the first year of immunization, reducing infection rates by as high as 60%. “It looked like there’s an early effect that wanes with time,” said Seth Berkley, chief executive of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. “It may be that the vaccine generates only weak antibodies against HIV, and these are only effective early on.” Although this vaccine isn’t ready for public use, the knowledge we gained from this research will certainly help in the production of new and improved HIV vaccines. [NEJM via New Scientist]

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The FDA recently announced the approval of a second HPV vaccine for the U.S. market. Cervarix, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, is the sole competitor to rival vaccine Gardasil, produced by Merck & Co. The vaccines differ in the strains of HPV they guard against, but both will fight the two most common strains that cause 70% of cervical cancers. At the same time, however, the FDA also granted approval for Merck’s Gardasil to be used in preventing genital warts (not genital cancer) in boys and men ages 9 through 26. But, do our children need yet another vaccine? You be the judge. Both vaccines are expected to net their respective companies over $1 billion per year in the coming years. [via ABC News]

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The National Institute on Drug Abuse is announcing a scientific first – a vaccine for treating addiction. A study published in the current issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry shows that vaccination with an experimental anti-cocaine vaccine resulted in a 38% reduction in cocaine use among study patients with a history of drug abuse. Similar to vaccines against infectious diseases, the anti-cocaine vaccine stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies. However, unlike antibodies against infectious diseases which destroy or deactivate disease-causing agents, anti-cocaine antibodies bind to cocaine molecules in the blood, rendering them incapable of passing through the blood-brain barrier, thus inhibiting or blocking cocaine’s effects on the body. [via NIH News]

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Scientists have discovered a potential retroviral link to chronic fatigue syndrome, known as CFS, a debilitating disease that affects millions of people in the United States. Researchers from the Whittemore Peterson Institute (WPI), located at the University of Nevada, Reno, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and the Cleveland Clinic, report this finding online Oct. 8, 2009, issue of Science. “We now have evidence that a retrovirus named XMRV is frequently present in the blood of patients with CFS. This discovery could be a major step in the discovery of vital treatment options for millions of patients,” said Judy Mikovits, Ph.D., director of research for WPI and leader of the team that discovered this association. Researchers cautioned however, that this finding shows there is an association between XMRV and CFS but does not prove that XMRV causes CFS. [Continue reading at National Institutes of Health]

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According to the World Health Organization the number of reported cases of H1N1 influenza has increased by at least 24,000 in just the past two weeks. And with the new H1N1 vaccine just recently being distributed to the public the CDC is reaffirming the current vaccination guidelines. The groups most at risk, and therefore should be vaccinated are:

Please note that the  H1N1 vaccine is not intended to replace the seasonal flu vaccine. The seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccines may be administered on the same day.  [via CDC]

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The New York Times is reporting that the first injectable H1N1 vaccines have shipped from vaccine maker Sanofi-Aventis. Previously, the first H1N1 vaccinations were to be the live virus type, in the form of a nasal spray. However, live virus vaccines are not recommended for certain groups including pregnant women, people with health problems, and adults over the age of 50 – some of the groups most at risk should they contract H1N1 infection. Sanofi-Aventis has a contract with the US government to provide 75 million doses of the vaccine, which will be provided free to physicians and health care workers. Health officials say there will eventually be enough vaccine for anyone who wants one, but priority will be given to high-risk groups first. The seasonal flu vaccine is currently distributed in sufficient quantity to the general public. Stay tuned to for up-to-date recommendations for the H1N1 vaccine as it becomes more widely available. [via Kaiser Health News]

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Historically, pregnant women have been one of the groups least likely to get the flu vaccine for a variety of reasons. Not surprisingly, their reluctance to take any medication during pregnancy is one of the reasons for the low vaccination rates. Additionally, the majority of obstetricians do not routinely vaccinate their patients due to costs involved and that it’s not part of routine obstetrician training. Therefore, the CDC and American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology are urging obstetricians to partner with hospitals or drugstores to guarantee their patients a place to get the flu shot. A vaccine is a two-for-one deal during pregnancy. It can protect both mom and baby because the flu-fighting antibodies made by mom will cross the placenta to the fetus and can help protect the baby during its first few months of life. This is why health officials are working on increasing the number of vaccinated pregnant women this year, especially since pregnant women make up 6% of H1N1-confirmed deaths even though they account for only 1% of the population. [via NBC News]

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This is going to be a busy flu season, especially considering that there will be two different flu vaccines available – one for the seasonal flu and the other for H1N1 (swine) flu. There are different recommendations for both vaccines, but only the seasonal flu vaccine is currently available. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends any adult who wants to reduce their risk of becoming ill with influenza to get the vaccine. However, if you are on the fence about the decision here is an up-to-date list from the CDC of high risk groups that should not think twice about getting the vaccine:

• persons aged 50 years and older;
• women who will be pregnant during the influenza season;
• persons who have chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension), renal, hepatic, cognitive, neurologic/neuromuscular, hematological or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus);
• persons who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by human immunodeficiency virus;
• residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities;
• health-care personnel;
• household contacts and caregivers of children aged <5 years and adults aged 50 years and older, with particular emphasis on vaccinating contacts of children aged <6 months; and
• household contacts and caregivers of persons with medical conditions that put them at higher risk for severe complications from influenza.

*If you have concerns about thimerosal or other vaccine preservatives, this year’s flu vaccine only comes in two flavors – latex-containing and latex-free. Neither contains thimerosal.

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Simone Davis, a 17 year-old British girl has been denied US permanent residency because she refused to take the Gardasil vaccine, which protects against a few strains of HPV and reduces the risk of cervical cancer. Since 2008, the US government has required that female immigrants between the ages of 11 to 26 applying for permanent residency or refugee status receive Gardasil, which was approved by the FDA in 2006. According to the 1996 Immigration and Naturalization Act girls and women within a specified age group must receive vaccinations against certain specified diseases “and any other vaccinations recommended by the CDC’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices. Said Davis, “I am only 17 years old and planning to go to college and not have sex anytime soon. There is no chance of getting cervical cancer, so there’s no point in getting the shot.” A devout Christian, Simone has taken a virginity pledge and plans to attend Pensacola Christian College, where she was conditionally accepted, pending her legal status. The vaccine is not mandated for girls or women who are already legal US residents. [via ABC News]

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