According to the study, national differences in impact of coronavirus could be partially explained by the different national policies respect to a TB vaccine called Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine.

Coronavirus Outbreak: TB vaccine to protect from COVID-19?

Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei said Sunday his country would never accept any aid to fight the novel coronavirus from arch-enemy and "charlatans" the United States, as Tehran announced 129 new deaths.

Speaking in a televised address, Khameini charged in a message directed at Washington: "No one trusts you. You are capable of bringing into our country a drug that will keep the virus alive and prevent its eradication."

Iran has been one of the countries worst hit by the COVID-19 illness along with Italy, Spain and China, and the latest fatalities raised the official death toll to 1,685, the health ministry said.

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More than 1,028 new cases in the past 24 hours meant a total of 21,638 people had now tested positive for the virus, said ministry spokesman Kianouche Jahanpour.

US President Donald Trump -- who has imposed sanctions and a "maximum pressure" campaign on Tehran over its nuclear programme --- said on February 29 that Washington was ready to help Iran fight the virus if its leaders requested it.&nbsp;

But Khamenei reiterated Iran's rejection, charging that Washington, which whom it has had no diplomatic relations for more than 40 years, was "capable" of wanting to intensify the epidemic in the Islamic republic.

"Today America is our most ferocious and vicious enemy," Khamenei said in his address to the nation.

"The American leaders are liars, manipulators, impudent and greedy ... They are charlatans," he said, also labelling them "absolutely ruthless" and "terrorists".

The American proposals "to help us with medicines and treatments, provided we ask for them, are strange", he said, noting that the United States itself suffers from "a horrible shortage not only of disease prevention equipment but also of medicines".&nbsp;

Speaking to Washington, he added: "If you have something, use it for yourself."

Khamenei advised Iranians that "everyone should follow the instructions" of the authorities to fight the epidemic "so that Almighty God will put an end to this calamity for the Iranian people, for all Muslim nations and for all mankind".

The ministry's Jahanpour said Tehran province had reported 249 new cases and the central province of Yazd, where 84 new patients had been counted, "could become a new focus of the disease in the coming days".

To limit the spread of the virus, the authorities have asked people to refrain from travelling during the current Persian New Year celebrations.&nbsp;

In Iran "about 68 percent of deaths from COVID-19 disease are people over 60 years of age", Jahanpour said, stressing that family trips "are generally risk factors for this age group".&nbsp;

Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei said Sunday his country would never accept any aid to fight the novel coronavirus from arch-enemy and "charlatans" the United States, as Tehran announced 129 new deaths.

Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei said Sunday his country would never accept any aid to fight the novel coronavirus from arch-enemy and "charlatans" the United States, as Tehran announced 129 new deaths. Speaking in a televised address, Khameini charged in a message directed at Washington: "No one trusts you. You are capable of bringing into our country a drug that will keep the virus alive and prevent its eradication." Iran has been one of the countries worst hit by the COVID-19 illness along with Italy, Spain and China, and the latest fatalities raised the official death toll to 1,685, the health ministry said. × More than 1,028 new cases in the past 24 hours meant a total of 21,638 people had now tested positive for the virus, said ministry spokesman Kianouche Jahanpour. US President Donald Trump -- who has imposed sanctions and a "maximum pressure" campaign on Tehran over its nuclear programme --- said on February 29 that Washington was ready to help Iran fight the virus if its leaders requested it. But Khamenei reiterated Iran's rejection, charging that Washington, which whom it has had no diplomatic relations for more than 40 years, was "capable" of wanting to intensify the epidemic in the Islamic republic. "Today America is our most ferocious and vicious enemy," Khamenei said in his address to the nation. "The American leaders are liars, manipulators, impudent and greedy ... They are charlatans," he said, also labelling them "absolutely ruthless" and "terrorists". The American proposals "to help us with medicines and treatments, provided we ask for them, are strange", he said, noting that the United States itself suffers from "a horrible shortage not only of disease prevention equipment but also of medicines". Speaking to Washington, he added: "If you have something, use it for yourself." Khamenei advised Iranians that "everyone should follow the instructions" of the authorities to fight the epidemic "so that Almighty God will put an end to this calamity for the Iranian people, for all Muslim nations and for all mankind". The ministry's Jahanpour said Tehran province had reported 249 new cases and the central province of Yazd, where 84 new patients had been counted, "could become a new focus of the disease in the coming days". To limit the spread of the virus, the authorities have asked people to refrain from travelling during the current Persian New Year celebrations. In Iran "about 68 percent of deaths from COVID-19 disease are people over 60 years of age", Jahanpour said, stressing that family trips "are generally risk factors for this age group".

Iran rejects Trump's virus aid offer as toll jumps to 1,685

Up to 45 million children in seven developing countries will be immunised against measles in a series of major vaccination campaigns to try to halt a global surge in the viral disease, the GAVI vaccine alliance said on Wednesday.

Measles cases have risen dramatically in all parts of the world in recent years. The World Health Organization said in December that measles had infected nearly 10 million people in 2018 and killed 140,000, mostly children, in what it described as "an outrage."

"While the headlines might focus on rising cases in Europe and the United States, it is sadly still the case that the vast majority of measles deaths are happening in the world’s poorest countries," said Seth Berkley, GAVI's chief executive, who gave a briefing to reporters in London.

The campaigns will be carried out by governments in Bangladesh, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Somalia and South Sudan and funded by partners including GAVI, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations children's fund UNICEF.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-says-online-anti-vaxxers-fuelling-samoa-measles-deaths-266415">U.N. says online anti-vaxxers fuelling Samoa measles deaths</a>

The aim is to reach some 45 million children in six months.

Provisional data for 2019 up to November showed a three-fold increase in case numbers compared with the same period in 2018, the WHO said.

"Measles cases rose alarmingly in 2019, affecting hundreds of thousands of children and claiming many young lives," said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF's executive director. "These measles outbreaks have taught us that we need to stay vigilant. We can't afford to wait and watch."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/samoa-measles-vaccine-now-mandatory-to-limit-deadly-outbreak-262803">Samoa: Measles vaccine now mandatory to limit deadly outbreak</a>

Up to 45 million children in seven developing countries will be immunised against measles in a series of major vaccination campaigns to try to halt a global surge in the viral disease, the GAVI vaccine alliance said on Wednesday.

Up to 45 million children in seven developing countries will be immunised against measles in a series of major vaccination campaigns to try to halt a global surge in the viral disease, the GAVI vaccine alliance said on Wednesday. Measles cases have risen dramatically in all parts of the world in recent years. The World Health Organization said in December that measles had infected nearly 10 million people in 2018 and killed 140,000, mostly children, in what it described as "an outrage." "While the headlines might focus on rising cases in Europe and the United States, it is sadly still the case that the vast majority of measles deaths are happening in the world’s poorest countries," said Seth Berkley, GAVI's chief executive, who gave a briefing to reporters in London. The campaigns will be carried out by governments in Bangladesh, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Somalia and South Sudan and funded by partners including GAVI, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations children's fund UNICEF. Also read: U.N. says online anti-vaxxers fuelling Samoa measles deaths The aim is to reach some 45 million children in six months. Provisional data for 2019 up to November showed a three-fold increase in case numbers compared with the same period in 2018, the WHO said. "Measles cases rose alarmingly in 2019, affecting hundreds of thousands of children and claiming many young lives," said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF's executive director. "These measles outbreaks have taught us that we need to stay vigilant. We can't afford to wait and watch." Also read: Samoa: Measles vaccine now mandatory to limit deadly outbreak

Measles vaccine drive aims to protect 45 million children in Africa, Asia

Johnson & Johnson, the producer of a new vaccine aimed at protecting people against the Ebola virus, announced on Sunday it would be providing 200,000 Ebola vaccines to Rwanda to stop the virus spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Vaccination programme begins to stop Ebola spread

The Congolese medical authorities said Saturday they had received the first shipment of a new Ebola vaccine as the central African country battles its second deadliest outbreak of the virus this decade.&nbsp;

The health ministry for the eastern province of North Kivu said that a preliminary batch of 11,000 doses of the new Ad26-ZEBOV-GP vaccine manufactured by Johnson &amp; Johnson had arrived on Friday.

In all, a shipment of a total 50,000 doses is being sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo to help fight an outbreak that has killed more than 2,100 people since August 2018.&nbsp;

Until now, the only vaccine against the disease was one manufactured by US firm, Merck Sharpe and Dohme.&nbsp;

The DRC's deadliest Ebola outbreak&nbsp;since the West Africa pandemic in 2014-2016 has affected the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri and left 2,183 people dead, according to the latest official figures.&nbsp;

Since the start of the vaccination campaign on August 8, 2018, a total of 245,999 people have been vaccinated.&nbsp;

Ebola fighters have been hindered by chronic insecurity in the affected provinces of eastern DRC, but much of the controversy surrounding the response has centred on the use of vaccines.&nbsp;

The World Health Organization had been pushing Kinshasa for months to approve the use of the J&amp;J vaccine,&nbsp;an experimental product,&nbsp;to protect those living outside of direct transmission zones.&nbsp;

The J&amp;J vaccine had been rejected by DRC's former health minister Oly Ilunga, who cited the risks of introducing a new product in communities where mistrust of Ebola responders is already high.

But Ilunga's resignation in July appeared to have paved the way for the second vaccine.

Jean-Jacques Muyembe, the new head of the anti-Ebola campaign, said Friday the J&amp;J vaccine would be used from mid-November with the operation being launched simultaneously in DR Congo and Rwanda.

The Congolese medical authorities said Saturday they had received the first shipment of a new Ebola vaccine as the central African country battles its second deadliest outbreak of the virus this decade.

The Congolese medical authorities said Saturday they had received the first shipment of a new Ebola vaccine as the central African country battles its second deadliest outbreak of the virus this decade. The health ministry for the eastern province of North Kivu said that a preliminary batch of 11,000 doses of the new Ad26-ZEBOV-GP vaccine manufactured by Johnson & Johnson had arrived on Friday. In all, a shipment of a total 50,000 doses is being sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo to help fight an outbreak that has killed more than 2,100 people since August 2018. Until now, the only vaccine against the disease was one manufactured by US firm, Merck Sharpe and Dohme. The DRC's deadliest Ebola outbreak since the West Africa pandemic in 2014-2016 has affected the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri and left 2,183 people dead, according to the latest official figures. Since the start of the vaccination campaign on August 8, 2018, a total of 245,999 people have been vaccinated. Ebola fighters have been hindered by chronic insecurity in the affected provinces of eastern DRC, but much of the controversy surrounding the response has centred on the use of vaccines. The World Health Organization had been pushing Kinshasa for months to approve the use of the J&J vaccine, an experimental product, to protect those living outside of direct transmission zones. The J&J vaccine had been rejected by DRC's former health minister Oly Ilunga, who cited the risks of introducing a new product in communities where mistrust of Ebola responders is already high. But Ilunga's resignation in July appeared to have paved the way for the second vaccine. Jean-Jacques Muyembe, the new head of the anti-Ebola campaign, said Friday the J&J vaccine would be used from mid-November with the operation being launched simultaneously in DR Congo and Rwanda.

First shipment of new Ebola vaccine arrives in DR Congo

GlaxoSmithKline on Wednesday raised its annual profit forecast for the second time this year as sales of its shingles vaccine beat expectations and older medicines, including HIV treatments, continued to sell well.

The British drugmaker's shares rose as much as 3 per cent&nbsp;to a more than a six-year high after the company said it now expected profit to be roughly flat at constant currency for the year, compared with a previous forecast of a fall of 3 per cent&nbsp;to 5 per cent.

CEO Emma Walmsley has embarked on a plan to rejuvenate GSK, which has included the spin-off or sale of a number of businesses since she took over in 2017. The company has formed a joint venture with Pfizer's&nbsp;consumer health division for over the counter products, which include Sensodyne toothpaste and Panadol painkillers.

GSK's leaner structure has also helped the company focus more on its pharmaceuticals business and build a newer pool of treatments, including its shingles vaccine, Shingrix.

Walmsley said she was delighted with the vaccine's performance, which had exceeded the drugmaker's expectations.

"Shingrix will be a material contributor to the company's growth for some time," she told reporters.

GSK has at times struggled to keep up with demand.

"Obviously it (Shingrix) has performed ahead of our initial expectations, which is why we have been working extremely hard on improving and accelerating our supply," Walmsley said.

Sales of the vaccine, launched in 2017, jumped 76 per cent&nbsp;to £535 million, zooming past analysts' estimate of £464 million, driven by sales in the United States where doctors are recommending immunisation more often for patients.

That performance helped sales at GSK's vaccines business to increase 15 per cent&nbsp;to £2.31 billion in the third quarter, above consensus.

Shingrix sales have already reached £1.24 billion in the first nine months of this year and it looks on course to exceed analysts' £1.52 billion sales forecast for 2019.

The company said its new profit forecast also reflected operating performance, increased investment in research and development as well as a lower expected effective tax rate of around 17 per cent&nbsp;for the year.

GSK's joint venture with Pfizer reported sales of £2.53 billion, boosted by US&nbsp;drugmaker Pfizer's older brands.

On Brexit, the British drugmaker said it had been preparing for a no-deal divorce between Britain and the European Union for some time now.

"Any difference between the preparation for the risk of a no-deal scenario and an ordered planned one in January is de minimis because that all happened over the last couple of years," Walmsley said.

Total group sales of £9.39 billion surpassed a company-compiled consensus. This is the drugmaker's sixth consecutive quarterly sales beat, according to Refinitiv Eikon data.

GSK shares were up 1.7 per cent&nbsp;at 1,769 pence at 1317 GMT.

GlaxoSmithKline on Wednesday raised its annual profit forecast for the second time this year as sales of its shingles vaccine beat expectations and older medicines, including HIV treatments, continued to sell well.

GlaxoSmithKline on Wednesday raised its annual profit forecast for the second time this year as sales of its shingles vaccine beat expectations and older medicines, including HIV treatments, continued to sell well. The British drugmaker's shares rose as much as 3 per cent to a more than a six-year high after the company said it now expected profit to be roughly flat at constant currency for the year, compared with a previous forecast of a fall of 3 per cent to 5 per cent. CEO Emma Walmsley has embarked on a plan to rejuvenate GSK, which has included the spin-off or sale of a number of businesses since she took over in 2017. The company has formed a joint venture with Pfizer's consumer health division for over the counter products, which include Sensodyne toothpaste and Panadol painkillers. GSK's leaner structure has also helped the company focus more on its pharmaceuticals business and build a newer pool of treatments, including its shingles vaccine, Shingrix. Walmsley said she was delighted with the vaccine's performance, which had exceeded the drugmaker's expectations. "Shingrix will be a material contributor to the company's growth for some time," she told reporters. GSK has at times struggled to keep up with demand. "Obviously it (Shingrix) has performed ahead of our initial expectations, which is why we have been working extremely hard on improving and accelerating our supply," Walmsley said. Sales of the vaccine, launched in 2017, jumped 76 per cent to £535 million, zooming past analysts' estimate of £464 million, driven by sales in the United States where doctors are recommending immunisation more often for patients. That performance helped sales at GSK's vaccines business to increase 15 per cent to £2.31 billion in the third quarter, above consensus. Shingrix sales have already reached £1.24 billion in the first nine months of this year and it looks on course to exceed analysts' £1.52 billion sales forecast for 2019. The company said its new profit forecast also reflected operating performance, increased investment in research and development as well as a lower expected effective tax rate of around 17 per cent for the year. GSK's joint venture with Pfizer reported sales of £2.53 billion, boosted by US drugmaker Pfizer's older brands. On Brexit, the British drugmaker said it had been preparing for a no-deal divorce between Britain and the European Union for some time now. "Any difference between the preparation for the risk of a no-deal scenario and an ordered planned one in January is de minimis because that all happened over the last couple of years," Walmsley said. Total group sales of £9.39 billion surpassed a company-compiled consensus. This is the drugmaker's sixth consecutive quarterly sales beat, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. GSK shares were up 1.7 per cent at 1,769 pence at 1317 GMT.

GSK raises profit forecast after shingles vaccine sales boost

Kenya gets Malaria Vaccine after Ghana and Malawi. To know more watch the video.

World's first Malaria Vaccine introduced in Kenya

Some 1.4 million Pakistani children missed getting polio vaccinations over a three-day campaign in April because of false reports that the vaccine had made children sick, said the government's top coordinator in the drive against polio.

Over a million Pakistani children missed vaccinations amid fake scare against polio medicine

The local government in India&#39;s hill state of Uttarakhand is planning to complete its late leader Sanjay Gandhi&#39;s pet mission in the mid 1970s -- forced sterilisation. 
 
But luckily for us, unlike Gandhi&#39;s plot to curb population in the country by sterilising poor men, the Congress government will use birth control pills to rein in the burgeoning monkey population in the state.&nbsp; 
 
The state forest department will team up with&nbsp;the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to ensure female monkeys are given&nbsp;oral immuno-contraceptives to leave them temporarily infertile, The Times of India reported. 
 
&quot;The vaccine will be mixed with food and will render the female infertile for a year. The dose will be repeated over a period of four years. The monkeys will either be tagged or identified from their traits,&quot; said WII director V B Mathur. 
 
The oral contraceptive will produce antibodies in the monkey which will block fertilisation. 
 
The entire shindig to control the monkey population in Uttarakhand is purely down to their nonsensical value. 
 
Initially, the government will procure the drug named&nbsp;Porcine zona pellucida (PZP) from the United States to accomplish this feat. But since the drug is costly, the state might look at similar vaccines that can be manufactured on a mass scale. 
 
 
(WION) 
 
&nbsp; 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Congress, one of the two major political parties in India, proves to be an echo chamber as far as forced sterilisation is concerned

The local government in India's hill state of Uttarakhand is planning to complete its late leader Sanjay Gandhi's pet mission in the mid 1970s -- forced sterilisation. But luckily for us, unlike Gandhi's plot to curb population in the country by sterilising poor men, the Congress government will use birth control pills to rein in the burgeoning monkey population in the state. The state forest department will team up with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to ensure female monkeys are given oral immuno-contraceptives to leave them temporarily infertile, The Times of India reported. "The vaccine will be mixed with food and will render the female infertile for a year. The dose will be repeated over a period of four years. The monkeys will either be tagged or identified from their traits," said WII director V B Mathur. The oral contraceptive will produce antibodies in the monkey which will block fertilisation. The entire shindig to control the monkey population in Uttarakhand is purely down to their nonsensical value. Initially, the government will procure the drug named Porcine zona pellucida (PZP) from the United States to accomplish this feat. But since the drug is costly, the state might look at similar vaccines that can be manufactured on a mass scale. (WION)

No planet of apes in India's hill state of Uttarakhand: Monkeys put on birth control pills

China health authorities have started a nationwide inspection of vaccinations four months after a scandal broke involving nearly $90 million worth of illegal vaccines that were suspected of being sold in dozens of provinces.

Authorities will track purchases as well as the distribution of vaccines and vaccination records, to ensure they are legally traded and properly handled and used, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said in a statement published online.

Random checks will be conducted at 20 per cent of hospitals and clinics providing vaccinations, while all disease control and prevention agencies nationwide will be inspected, it said.

In March, authorities pledged to crack down on the black market sale of vaccines after a mother and daughter in Shandong province were found to have illegally bought vaccines from traders and sold on to hundreds of re-sellers around China.

The vaccines, which police said were made by licensed producers, were not kept and transported in the required cold conditions, which could mean that patients taking them could suffer severe side effects or even death.

Hong Kong limited the number of non-resident children getting vaccinations at government clinics there after the scare raised fears that mainland families would go to the city for inoculations and put pressure on supplies. 
 
(Reuters)

Licensed vaccines weren't transported in the required conditions, which could lead to patients suffering severe side effects, even death

China health authorities have started a nationwide inspection of vaccinations four months after a scandal broke involving nearly $90 million worth of illegal vaccines that were suspected of being sold in dozens of provinces. Authorities will track purchases as well as the distribution of vaccines and vaccination records, to ensure they are legally traded and properly handled and used, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said in a statement published online. Random checks will be conducted at 20 per cent of hospitals and clinics providing vaccinations, while all disease control and prevention agencies nationwide will be inspected, it said. In March, authorities pledged to crack down on the black market sale of vaccines after a mother and daughter in Shandong province were found to have illegally bought vaccines from traders and sold on to hundreds of re-sellers around China. The vaccines, which police said were made by licensed producers, were not kept and transported in the required cold conditions, which could mean that patients taking them could suffer severe side effects or even death. Hong Kong limited the number of non-resident children getting vaccinations at government clinics there after the scare raised fears that mainland families would go to the city for inoculations and put pressure on supplies. (Reuters)

China launches nationwide inspection of vaccines

More children are falling victim to contagious diseases in Muslim-majority Malaysia, worrying health authorities as parents reject immunisation programmes for fear the vaccines used infringe strict religious rules. 
 
The deaths of five children in June from diphtheria, a disease that can be prevented by vaccines, provoked an outcry among doctors and spurred calls for an edict by religious authorities to compel Muslim families to immunise children. 
 
&quot;Our concern is, if it&#39;s left uncontrolled, in the long-term we might see a significant effect on the nation as a whole,&quot; health minister S Subramaniam told Reuters in an interview. 
 
Although Muslim religious authorities have waived the stringent halal requirement if suitable vaccines are not available, concerns have redoubled recently that some may contain substances such as pig DNA, forbidden by Islam. 
 
Paediatrician Musa Mohamad Nordin said there was a lot of misinformation in Malaysia&#39;s Muslim community, mostly ethnic Malays who form 61 per cent of a population of about 30 million that includes substantial ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m upset, and also saddened, that some religious teachers are spreading rumours that vaccines contain a composition that is not permissible by Islamic jurisprudence,&quot; added Musa, a member of Malaysia&#39;s Federation of Islamic Medical Associations. 
 
Only a few families have rejected vaccinations, but the number has more than doubled in the past three years to reach 1,541 in 2015, Subramaniam said, which is reflected in a rise in vaccine-preventable diseases, from diphtheria to measles. 
 
As with anti-vaccination movements elsewhere, many Malaysians who refuse vaccinations worry about potential side effects or efficacy, Subramaniam said. It is not clear what provoked the suspicions over pig DNA. 
 
But three-quarters of the parents who rejected immunisation last year in the northern state of Kedah, which has the highest rates of vaccine refusal in Malaysia, cited doubts over their halal status, a survey showed. 
 
Malaysia&#39;s highest Islamic body, the National Fatwa Council, has ruled vaccination permissible under Islamic law, even allowing vaccines with non-halal components, in the absence of halal alternatives. 
 
The council has not yet decided on an edict of mandatory vaccinations for Muslims, Federal Territory Mufti Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri said in an interview. 
 
&quot;On the whole, we find that vaccines have been very beneficial to society,&quot; Zulkifli added. 
 
&#39;Parents rights&#39; 
 
Last Sunday, parents at a vaccination forum on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, the capital, recounted the side effects their children suffered. 
 
Parents should have the right to refuse vaccination, said alternative medicine practitioner Arif Faizal, 36. 
 
&quot;There is no law compelling mandatory vaccines, and even on the global level, very few countries support such a move,&quot; he told Reuters. 
 
Others felt vaccinations were essential, however. 
 
&quot;As Muslim parents, we have a responsibility to protect our children,&quot; said Wan Normaniza Wan Hasan, a teacher and mother of six. 
 
(Reuters)

In the Muslim-majority country, parents fear the vaccine used in immunisation programmes infringes on strict religious rulings

More children are falling victim to contagious diseases in Muslim-majority Malaysia, worrying health authorities as parents reject immunisation programmes for fear the vaccines used infringe strict religious rules. The deaths of five children in June from diphtheria, a disease that can be prevented by vaccines, provoked an outcry among doctors and spurred calls for an edict by religious authorities to compel Muslim families to immunise children. "Our concern is, if it's left uncontrolled, in the long-term we might see a significant effect on the nation as a whole," health minister S Subramaniam told Reuters in an interview. Although Muslim religious authorities have waived the stringent halal requirement if suitable vaccines are not available, concerns have redoubled recently that some may contain substances such as pig DNA, forbidden by Islam. Paediatrician Musa Mohamad Nordin said there was a lot of misinformation in Malaysia's Muslim community, mostly ethnic Malays who form 61 per cent of a population of about 30 million that includes substantial ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities. "I'm upset, and also saddened, that some religious teachers are spreading rumours that vaccines contain a composition that is not permissible by Islamic jurisprudence," added Musa, a member of Malaysia's Federation of Islamic Medical Associations. Only a few families have rejected vaccinations, but the number has more than doubled in the past three years to reach 1,541 in 2015, Subramaniam said, which is reflected in a rise in vaccine-preventable diseases, from diphtheria to measles. As with anti-vaccination movements elsewhere, many Malaysians who refuse vaccinations worry about potential side effects or efficacy, Subramaniam said. It is not clear what provoked the suspicions over pig DNA. But three-quarters of the parents who rejected immunisation last year in the northern state of Kedah, which has the highest rates of vaccine refusal in Malaysia, cited doubts over their halal status, a survey showed. Malaysia's highest Islamic body, the National Fatwa Council, has ruled vaccination permissible under Islamic law, even allowing vaccines with non-halal components, in the absence of halal alternatives. The council has not yet decided on an edict of mandatory vaccinations for Muslims, Federal Territory Mufti Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri said in an interview. "On the whole, we find that vaccines have been very beneficial to society," Zulkifli added. 'Parents rights' Last Sunday, parents at a vaccination forum on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, the capital, recounted the side effects their children suffered. Parents should have the right to refuse vaccination, said alternative medicine practitioner Arif Faizal, 36. "There is no law compelling mandatory vaccines, and even on the global level, very few countries support such a move," he told Reuters. Others felt vaccinations were essential, however. "As Muslim parents, we have a responsibility to protect our children," said Wan Normaniza Wan Hasan, a teacher and mother of six. (Reuters)

Malaysians rejecting vaccine causes preventable, fatal disease

Mice given a single shot of one of two experimental Zika vaccines were completely protected when exposed to the virus one to two months later, a promising sign that similar vaccines under development for humans will protect against Zika, US researchers said on Tuesday. 
 
&ldquo;This is an encouraging first step in Zika vaccine design and pre-clinical testing. This new mouse model should be useful for comparative assessments of the large range of vaccine candidates now being designed,&quot; said Professor Adrian Hill, director of Oxford University&#39;s Jenner Institute, which did not conduct the mouse study but is also developing Zika vaccines. 
 
Separately, US scientists said they have developed a model of the Zika virus in monkeys, a close proxy for human disease. 
 
The studies advance efforts in fighting the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has swept through the Americas and Caribbean since last fall, and has been linked to thousands of cases of microcephaly, a rare birth defect, in Brazil, as well as to neurological disorders. On February 1, the World Health Organization declared Zika a global health emergency. 
 
&ldquo;With diseases spread by biting insects, such as Zika, standard quarantine measures are useless, so stopping an outbreak in its tracks requires a vaccine-led approach,&quot; said Dr Derek Gatherer, a lecturer in the division of biomedical and life sciences at Britain&#39;s Lancaster University. 
 
In the mouse study, published in the journal Nature, a team led by Dr Dan Barouch of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, tested two different vaccine candidates in a strain of mice that develops Zika symptoms. 
 
One candidate, a DNA vaccine, was developed by Barouch and colleagues. It contains bits of genetic material from a Zika virus strain from Brazil. 
 
The other was made from a purified but inactivated version of the Zika virus from Puerto Rico. That vaccine was developed by researchers at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring, Maryland. 
 
Mice given either type of vaccine were 100 per cent protected from Zika after a single shot. Unvaccinated mice that were exposed to the virus all developed symptoms of Zika. 
 
Both types of vaccines - DNA and inactivated virus vaccines - have been successfully developed to prevent infection from viruses related to Zika, including West Nile and dengue. 
 
The team also showed that antibodies taken from immunized mice could be used to protect other, unvaccinated mice, offering proof that the antibodies produced by the vaccines were specific to Zika. 
 
&quot;We need to be cautious about extrapolating data from a mouse model into humans,&quot; Barouch said. But the fact that the vaccines protected mice and that their antibodies protected other mice from Zika was grounds for optimism over the development of a Zika vaccine, he said. 
 
At least 15 companies and academic groups are racing to develop Zika vaccines, according to the WHO. US vaccine maker Inovio Pharmaceuticals last week got US Food and Drug Administration approval to begin testing its Zika DNA vaccine in humans. 
 
Oxford University&#39;s Hill stressed that there are still years of testing needed before a finished vaccine will be available for humans. 
 
MONKEY INFECTION 
 
In another advance, researchers at the University of Wisconsin reported on Tuesday that they have successfully infected rhesus macaques with an Asian strain of the Zika virus that is currently circulating in the Americas. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, shows that monkeys - which have immune responses similar to humans - can be used to study Zika. 
 
In the study, David O&#39;Connor and colleagues inoculated eight rhesus macaques - including two pregnant monkeys - with a strain of Zika virus currently circulating in the Americas. 
 
All eight animals were infected. Tests showed viral particles in their blood, saliva, urine and spinal fluid. All animals stayed infected for at least 21 days, and some remained infected for at least 57 days. 
 
A second exposure to Zika 10 weeks after the first did not make the animals sick, suggesting that antibodies developed by the monkeys protected them against a second case of Zika. This is a promising sign that humans may similarly be able to develop protective antibodies against the virus. 
 
The scientists are still working to understand whether the pregnant monkeys will pass the infection along to their fetuses, and whether infected monkeys can transmit the virus sexually, as has been seen in infected humans. 
 
US health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. The WHO has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults. 
 
(Reuters)

Encouraging tests have been conducted on both mice and monkeys, but it'll be years before humans have a finished Zika vaccine

Mice given a single shot of one of two experimental Zika vaccines were completely protected when exposed to the virus one to two months later, a promising sign that similar vaccines under development for humans will protect against Zika, US researchers said on Tuesday. “This is an encouraging first step in Zika vaccine design and pre-clinical testing. This new mouse model should be useful for comparative assessments of the large range of vaccine candidates now being designed," said Professor Adrian Hill, director of Oxford University's Jenner Institute, which did not conduct the mouse study but is also developing Zika vaccines. Separately, US scientists said they have developed a model of the Zika virus in monkeys, a close proxy for human disease. The studies advance efforts in fighting the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has swept through the Americas and Caribbean since last fall, and has been linked to thousands of cases of microcephaly, a rare birth defect, in Brazil, as well as to neurological disorders. On February 1, the World Health Organization declared Zika a global health emergency. “With diseases spread by biting insects, such as Zika, standard quarantine measures are useless, so stopping an outbreak in its tracks requires a vaccine-led approach," said Dr Derek Gatherer, a lecturer in the division of biomedical and life sciences at Britain's Lancaster University. In the mouse study, published in the journal Nature, a team led by Dr Dan Barouch of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, tested two different vaccine candidates in a strain of mice that develops Zika symptoms. One candidate, a DNA vaccine, was developed by Barouch and colleagues. It contains bits of genetic material from a Zika virus strain from Brazil. The other was made from a purified but inactivated version of the Zika virus from Puerto Rico. That vaccine was developed by researchers at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring, Maryland. Mice given either type of vaccine were 100 per cent protected from Zika after a single shot. Unvaccinated mice that were exposed to the virus all developed symptoms of Zika. Both types of vaccines - DNA and inactivated virus vaccines - have been successfully developed to prevent infection from viruses related to Zika, including West Nile and dengue. The team also showed that antibodies taken from immunized mice could be used to protect other, unvaccinated mice, offering proof that the antibodies produced by the vaccines were specific to Zika. "We need to be cautious about extrapolating data from a mouse model into humans," Barouch said. But the fact that the vaccines protected mice and that their antibodies protected other mice from Zika was grounds for optimism over the development of a Zika vaccine, he said. At least 15 companies and academic groups are racing to develop Zika vaccines, according to the WHO. US vaccine maker Inovio Pharmaceuticals last week got US Food and Drug Administration approval to begin testing its Zika DNA vaccine in humans. Oxford University's Hill stressed that there are still years of testing needed before a finished vaccine will be available for humans. MONKEY INFECTION In another advance, researchers at the University of Wisconsin reported on Tuesday that they have successfully infected rhesus macaques with an Asian strain of the Zika virus that is currently circulating in the Americas. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, shows that monkeys - which have immune responses similar to humans - can be used to study Zika. In the study, David O'Connor and colleagues inoculated eight rhesus macaques - including two pregnant monkeys - with a strain of Zika virus currently circulating in the Americas. All eight animals were infected. Tests showed viral particles in their blood, saliva, urine and spinal fluid. All animals stayed infected for at least 21 days, and some remained infected for at least 57 days. A second exposure to Zika 10 weeks after the first did not make the animals sick, suggesting that antibodies developed by the monkeys protected them against a second case of Zika. This is a promising sign that humans may similarly be able to develop protective antibodies against the virus. The scientists are still working to understand whether the pregnant monkeys will pass the infection along to their fetuses, and whether infected monkeys can transmit the virus sexually, as has been seen in infected humans. US health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. The WHO has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults. (Reuters)

Zika vaccine tests successful on mice

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