Latest news with #AmeshAdalja
Politico
09-07-2025
- Health
- Politico
The 2025 measles outbreak is largest in three decades
Kennedy has pointed to the much higher measles rates and death toll in Europe in arguing that the U.S. response to the outbreak 'is a model for the rest of the world.' He's asked the CDC to develop new guidance for treating the disease. 'People should be getting healthier. We've got more solutions. Medicine is advancing, and yet you're seeing people turning away from it,' said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an expert on infectious disease and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. 'To me, this is the mentality of the Dark Ages.' The outbreak is primarily centered in Texas, where at least 750 cases have been reported . It's also spread to nearby communities in New Mexico and Kansas. The vast majority of cases have been in unvaccinated people, and the outbreak began in a religious community with a long history of vaccine skepticism. Three people in connection with the Texas outbreak this year — including 2 children — according to the CDC, and 162 people have been hospitalized. Both children were 'school-age,' according to the Texas Department of Health, and unvaccinated. Most U.S. states have seen at least one case of measles in 2025. Yearly measles cases dropped sharply in the 1990s after the CDC's panel of vaccine experts decided to add a second dose of the MMR vaccine to the childhood vaccine schedule. The disease was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000 because of widespread immunity through vaccinations, but public health experts have said that, this year, the U.S. is at risk of losing that designation . — Key context: The 2019 outbreak — like the 2025 Texas outbreak — was tied to close-knit religious communities with a history of vaccine skepticism. But national coverage for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine has fallen steadily in kindergarteners since the the Covid-19 pandemic — a trend public health experts and officials have said is likely tied to increased vaccine skepticism. The latest CDC data, for the 2022-2023 school year, found a two percent drop in the vaccination rate among kindergarteners compared to before the pandemic . Kennedy has shifted on his messaging around the outbreak, sometimes saying that vaccination is the best way to prevent the disease, but at other times inaccurately claiming the shot contains 'aborted fetus debris.'
The Hill
20-06-2025
- Health
- The Hill
New COVID variant causes ‘razor blade throat'
Patients and doctors say the latest COVID-19 variant spreading in the U.S. in some cases causes a sore throat so painful it has earned the nickname 'razor blade throat.' The 'Nimbus' variant, which is officially known as NB.1.8.1., is a descendant of the Omicron is currently being monitored by the World Health Organization. 'Your throat is so dry, so cracked, it's so painful, it's even hard to drink sometimes,' Muhammad Azam, a physician with Sharp Community Medical Group in California, told ABC 10. The variant was first identified in January. It has since been found around the globe, including in Canada and at least 13 states in the U.S. Apart from 'razor blade throat,' it causes symptoms similar to other Omicron variants of the virus, like cough, fever, fatigue, muscle aches, congestion, headache, nausea, vomiting and loss of smell or taste, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 'Sore throat has been a part of the spectrum of COVID from the beginning,' said Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. 'It is something that we know occurs just like it occurs with many other respiratory viruses.' Most cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. are still caused by the LP.8.1. strain, but the NB.1.8.1 variant is becoming increasingly prominent. According to CDC data, 38 percent of COVID cases stem from the LP.8.1 strain while 37 percent of COVID cases now stem from the 'Nimbus' variant. The agency notes on its website that, given the low number of virus sequences being reported, its precision is low. NB.1.8.1 does not appear to be any more of a global threat than other variants, according to the WHO. The organization also said that the existing COVID-19 vaccines provide adequate protection against severe illness and hospitalization caused by the new variant. Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News that most COVID patients are reporting sore throat. 'I think it's certainly amongst the spectrum of symptoms that you can get, and we know that sore throat is reported by about 70% of patients now with COVID, so it's not unusual, and like with everything in medicine, there's always a spectrum,' he said.
Express Tribune
29-05-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Moderna bird flu vaccine: US cancels over $700 million funding, prompting concerns
Listen to article The United States has cancelled over $700 million in funding allocated to Moderna Inc. for the late-stage development of its bird flu vaccine, citing concerns over scientific standards and safety. The decision, which halts a key project targeting the H5N1 avian influenza strain, marks a notable policy reversal in the nation's pandemic preparedness efforts. The contract, originally awarded under the Biden administration, included $590 million in January to expand Moderna's clinical trials and explore up to five new influenza subtypes. An additional $176 million had previously been committed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2024 to complete development and testing of the mRNA-based vaccine. Today we announced an update on our investigational pandemic influenza program. Learn more: — Moderna (@moderna_tx) May 28, 2025 Moderna confirmed the cancellation on Wednesday, stating that it still intends to pursue alternative paths for advancing the vaccine's development and manufacturing. Shares of the company remained flat in after-hours trading. A spokesperson for HHS said a 'comprehensive internal review' had determined the Moderna project no longer met the federal agency's 'scientific standards or safety expectations' to justify continued public investment. The spokesperson did not provide further detail on the nature of the review's findings. The decision comes as the H5N1 strain continues to circulate globally, having infected at least 70 people in the past year—primarily farm workers—while also spreading through cattle herds and poultry flocks. Dr Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, criticised the cancellation, warning that the government was 'discarding what could be one of the most effective and rapid tools' to contain a potential outbreak. He contrasted the move with former President Donald Trump's Operation Warp Speed, which expedited COVID-19 vaccine development. BREAKING: HHS just killed a $600M Moderna contract for pandemic flu vaccines. The platform: mRNA—the fastest we have against threats like H5N1. The reason? RFK Jr.'s skepticism. The risk? Deadly delays when the next pandemic hits. — Carolyn Barber, MD (@cbarbermd) May 28, 2025 Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also drawn criticism in recent months for his scepticism of vaccine deployment. In a controversial television appearance earlier this year, he suggested that poultry farmers should allow avian flu to spread unchecked to observe natural resistance in chickens. Despite the setback, Moderna reported encouraging interim results from an ongoing mid-stage trial evaluating the safety and immune response of its H5 vaccine candidate. The company has been relying on revenue from next-generation mRNA vaccines—including its bird flu and COVID-flu combination shots—as demand for its COVID-19 vaccine continues to decline. The cancellation reflects shifting priorities within the federal government and highlights growing scrutiny of pandemic-related funding decisions made during the previous administration.
Free Malaysia Today
29-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
US cancels over US$700mil funding for Moderna's bird flu vaccine
Moderna was awarded the contract to advance the development of its bird flu vaccine by the Biden administration. (Reuters pic) WASHINGTON : The Trump administration has cancelled a contract awarded to Moderna for the late-stage development of its bird flu vaccine for humans, as well as the right to purchase shots, the drugmaker announced on Wednesday. Shares of Moderna were flat in after-market trading. Moderna in January was awarded US$590 million by the Biden administration to advance the development of its bird flu vaccine, and support the expansion of clinical studies for up to five additional subtypes of pandemic influenza. This was in addition to US$176 million awarded by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last year to complete the late-stage development and testing of a pre-pandemic mRNA-based vaccine against the H5N1 avian influenza. HHS told Reuters earlier this year that it was reviewing agreements made by the Biden administration for vaccine production. 'The cancellation means that the government is discarding what could be one of the most effective and rapid tools to combat an avian influenza outbreak,' said Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, adding that it is the opposite approach Trump took with Operation Warp Speed to combat Covid-19. Bird flu has infected 70 people, most of them farm workers, over the past year as it has spread aggressively among cattle herds and poultry flocks. Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has questioned the use of vaccines and earlier this year drew censure from some in the US Congress after he suggested in a television interview that poultry farmers should let the bird flu spread unchecked through their flocks to study chickens who did not contract it. Moderna said it plans to explore alternatives for late-stage development and manufacturing of the vaccine. The company has been banking on revenue from newer mRNA shots, including its bird flu vaccine and experimental Covid-flu combination vaccine, to make up for waning post-pandemic demand for its Covid vaccine. Moderna also said on Wednesday that it had received positive interim data from a mid-stage trial set up to test the safety and immunogenicity of its bird flu vaccine targeting the H5 avian influenza virus subtype.
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
The Prototype: New Bacteria Discovered On Chinese Space Station
In this week's edition of The Prototype, we look at whether we should worry about spaceborne bacteria, a clinical trial for regenerating nerves after a traumatic injury, a new class of electronics and more. You can sign up to get The Prototype in your inbox here. A Chinese spacecraft returning from the Tiangong space station A previously unknown strain of bacteria is living on Chain's Tiangong space station, according to a study published this week. The new microorganisms were discovered on swabs taken from the station. The news immediately brought the novel (and movie) The Andromeda Strain into my brain, which is about a disease that makes it to Earth from space by way of a government satellite. Luckily, Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, reassured me that any microorganisms found in space aren't likely to cause a new pandemic. 'It's important to remember that the vast, vast majority of bacterial organisms are not going to cause any harm,' he said. One thing to consider about these types of microbes, he said, is that their ability to adapt to one extreme environment does not mean they will thrive in another environment that it's not adapted to.' And to determine whether such an organism might pose a disease risk, it's important to consider whether they can survive in human bodies. If they can, do they even cause any harm? Odds are, they don't, he said. 'Most bacteria that live on or in us aren't harmful,' he said. Even if a new microorganism adapted to space or some other environment were to cause disease, humans still wouldn't necessarily be helpless, Adalja said. That's because lots of microorganisms share characteristics with each other, meaning the study of a new pathogen's data, like its DNA, can help researchers determine ways to find a treatment or vaccine. Stay tuned. Auxilium Biotechnologies Over 300,000 people every year experience an accident that causes damage to their peripheral nerves–those that exist outside of the brain and spinal cord. These injuries can be serious and lead to disability in some cases. There's no easy way to treat them, either. When repairs are possible, they often require surgically grafting a portion of a healthy nerve from another part of the body to the injured one. Sometimes that canlead to difficult complications and side effects like chronic pain. San Diego-based Auxilium Biotechnologies has a different approach. It's developed a device it calls a NeuroSpan Bridge, which it hopes will enable damaged nerves to regenerate into health. It does this by physically guiding the nerves to grow in a single direction to repair the damage. The company announced this week that it will begin a clinical trial of 80 nerve trauma patients with its device. Nerves do actually regenerate naturally, CEO and cofounder Jacob Koffler, who is also a professor of neuroscience at UC San Diego, told me. But the problem is that 'the nerve goes wherever it wants,' he said. It doesn't necessarily reconnect with the rest of the healthy nerve. 'What we bring to the table is a technology that organizes regeneration' by guiding the regenerated nerves directly to the healthy one. The company has already successfully demonstrated the device in mice, so humans are the next step. The clinical trial will take about a year, Koffler said. If results are good, the company would then work to seek a green light from the FDA to commercialize its device. Scientists at Rutgers University have created 'intercrystals' - a new substance that could power the electronics of the future. It consists of two layers of graphene, each one atom thick, which are laid on top of a crystal made from boron and nitrogen. The result is a structural pattern in the chemistry that allows a very efficient transmission of electrons that can be refined on the atomic level. The researchers behind the discovery say it could someday lead to more efficient electronics materials such as sensors or transistors. Even more importantly–all the components are cheap. 'Because these structures can be made out of abundant, non-toxic elements such as carbon, boron and nitrogen, rather than rare earth elements, they also offer a more sustainable and scalable pathway for future technologies,' researcher Eva Andrei said in a press release about the discovery. NASA says that a 'cumulative multi-year budget reduction' will force cutbacks in crew size and scientific research on board the International Space Station. NASA is currently considering operating the U.S. portion of the station with a three person crew, rather than four. There are also fewer planned cargo flights to the International Space Station, which will reduce revenues for contractors like SpaceX and Northrop Grumman. It's not clear yet whether NASA will be able to continue to support private missions to the ISS, such as those from SpaceX purchased by Axiom Space. I wrote about Abel Avellan, whose company AST SpaceMobile is taking on SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Project Kuiper in the battle to provide broadband satellite internet directly to your smartphone. This would enable connectivity in remote areas and help the over 2.6 billion people who currently lack regular internet access o get online. In my other newsletter, InnovationRx, Amy Feldman and I looked at the FDA's new COVID-19 vaccine rules, Novartis's acquisition strategy, Medtronic's diabetes spinoff, Regeneron's purchase of 23AndMe, and more. Recycling electronics might get easier thanks to researchers at the University of Helsinki, who figured out a way to extract silver from old electronics with used cooking oil. Funding for scientific research is at its lowest point in 35 years, reports the New York Times, with nearly every field being impacted by the slowdown in grants from the National Science Foundation. Energy infrastructure projects tend to be over budget and behind schedule, a new study finds. Nuclear power plants are the worst offenders. If you want the best bang for your energy investment buck, build a solar power project–they tend to finish under budget or ahead of schedule. Researchers built a new kind of lithium battery that works by pulling carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Previous attempts at this kind of chemistry tended to be expensive and not work well, but the new version could allow them to scale cheaply. And good news for Elon Musk–they're ideal for Mars, where the atmosphere is 95% carbon dioxide. One of the downfalls of restrictive dieting to lose weight is that pretty soon you start craving certain foods–and once you give in after prolonged abstinence, you may start binging, which can derail your diet completely. A new study suggests a better way: eat what you crave. During the study, a group of people on a diet were encouraged to include the foods they love, even junk food, into otherwise balanced meals. That group of people not only lost more weight, they also reported fewer food cravings than those who didn't incorporate such foods into their meal plans. One of the comforts of the streaming era is the chance to finally get around to shows that you missed the first time. Right now, for example, I'm watching Boardwalk Empire, which aired on HBO from 2009 to 2014. The series is centered on organized crime and corruption in Atlantic City during the Prohibition era, using real-life characters like Al Capone, Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky. Steve Buscemi is excellent in the lead role and it's a great watch for anyone who's into a good mob drama. All episodes are streaming on Max–or HBO Max–or whatever we're calling it now.
