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Vaccines! This week's New England Journal of Medicine has a study from the University of Pittsburgh that analyzed 125 years of weekly surveillance reports for infectious diseases, and today's New York Times has an article about the study. By analyzing time periods before and after introduction of vaccines, the investigators were able to estimate that in the last decade 99% of cases of childhood diseases have been prevented. Quick, someone please call Jenny McCarthy!

Who is Maurice Hilleman?

This will be the correct response if Alex Trebek ever says: “American vaccinologist credited with saving more lives than any other scientist in the 20th century”. It amazes me that Hilleman is not a household name, and that he didn’t win a Nobel prize. Even after paying close attention during medical school, internal medicine residency, and two fellowships (in infectious diseases and clinical microbiology), I had very little understanding of his immense contributions to infection prevention until I begin reviewing the mumps vaccine literature during the Iowa mumps outbreak in 2006.


So please, take a few minutes to read this excellent NY Times piece about Hilleman.

MRSA vs Man vs MRSA: CA-MRSA and Vaccines

Maryn McKenna has a new Nature Feature on Robert Daum's early CA-MRSA report and his vaccine development efforts.  The article spans the period 1995 to present and discusses old and new vaccines, including Daum's  T_H17-targeted approach.  A nugget I didn't know is that Daum had an 18-month struggle with JAMA editors prior to publication of his early description of CA-MRSA cases in pediatric patients.  The article is now considered to be an early warning of the epidemic.  Probably shouldn't rely on publications in academic journals for early warning signals.  What are you waiting for?  Head on over there for the full read.

Source: Maryn McKenna: Vaccine Development: Man vs MRSA, Nature 01 Feb 2012

The History of Vaccines (new website)

The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the oldest professional society in the United States, has just launched a new educational website on the History of Vaccines. There is so much information available, that it literally will blow your mind. I should post a picture, it's not pretty. Topics include "The Development of the Immunization Schedule," a timeline of vaccination history from the year 1000, "History of the anti-Vaccination Movements," and "Top 20 Questions about Vaccines." There are already 424 images and videos for your use and education. Wow.

The site has been planned for several years and has been in development for a year. It will officially launch on November 3, 2010, when Stanley A. Plotkin, MD, developer of the current rubella vaccine, and emeritus professor of The Wistar Institute and The University of Pennsylvania, will give the Samuel X Radbill lecture entitled "Four Centuries of Vaccinology" in Philadelphia.

Check out the preview version of the website "The History of Vaccines" and related blog. Just fantastic.

h/t Tara Smith at Aetiology