Prevnar cuts Meningitis rate. Vaccine wins again!

[paximperium]

A routine childhood vaccine used to prevent several common types of infections has helped cut the rate of a deadly form of meningitis by 30 percent in children and adults, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday, suggesting even the unvaccinated are benefiting from the shot.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE50D7XI20090114

 

[MattusMaximus]

Epic win

 

[Ivor the Engineer]

Epic win

Good, but not great:

But they also noted a worrisome increase of pneumococcal meningitis in strains not covered by the vaccine and those that resist antibiotics.

...

"We do need new vaccines that will cover additional strains not included in the current vaccine," he said.

Wyeth is testing an expanded version of the vaccine that will cover 13 strains of pneumococcal bacteria and has said it plans to seek U.S. regulatory approval in the first quarter of this year.

Harrison said he evaluated the new Wyeth vaccine and based on currently available data, he thinks it will cover about half of the remaining disease.

 

[paximperium]

Good, but not great:

Well, it doesn't mention the massive decrease in childhood pneumonias as well but an expanded vaccine is always a good thing.

 

[casebro]

A 30% relative risk reduction ?
So just what are my chances of dying from pneumococal meningitis any how? One in 10,000? So, vaccination makes it one in 13,000? Where does the line form?

 

[Puppycow]

A 30% relative risk reduction ?
So just what are my chances of dying from pneumococal meningitis any how? One in 10,000? So, vaccination makes it one in 13,000? Where does the line form?

OTOH, in a country of 300 million that probably adds up to a lot of people.

While any one vaccine may not make a big difference, the cumulate effect of modern vaccines from smallpox to polio to MMR to DPT is huge. And even people who aren't vaccinated benefit from "herd immunity" if the majority are vaccinated. Average life expectancy before modern vaccinations became widespread was often in the 20s to 30s for most of history.

 

[INRM]

Of course it does, that's the whole idea of a vaccine -- to prevent a disease.

 

[ectoplasm]

Well, I will have to go to Inside Vaccines to get the real scoop.




note: I am being facetious, but I wonder what negative spin they will put on it.

 

[luchog]

Well, I will have to go to Inside Vaccines to get the real scoop.

note: I am being facetious, but I wonder what negative spin they will put on it.

Well, judging by previous anti-vax posters here, they'll claim it's a lie, claim it's due to "improved sanitation", claim it's "natural immunity caused by exposure", claim it's due to some other factor they pull straight out of their nether regions, or some combination of the above.