“TS,S/AS01E was first introduced within the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme in selected areas in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi. A series of post-introduction observational studies were initiated in these areas to assess RTS,S/AS01E safety and effectiveness in real-world settings. Here, we report the results of the interim analysis of the EPI-MAL-003 study secondary objectives related to vaccine effectiveness…

Over 12 months after the third RTS,S/AS01E dose, country-adjusted IRRs suggest a 30% reduction in any malaria and a 58% reduction in severe malaria. No cerebral malaria occurred in the vaccinated children over the follow-up period”

From The Lancet.

“Moderna and Merck’s cancer vaccine reduced the risk of relapse or death for melanoma patients, five-year data from a Phase 2b trial showed.

The companies on Tuesday said the vaccine, in combination with Merck’s immunotherapy Keytruda, reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 49% compared with Keytruda alone.

‘We continue to invest in our platform in oncology because of encouraging outcomes like these, which illustrate mRNA’s potential in cancer care,’ said Kyle Holen, a senior vice president at Moderna.

The companies had previously released promising three-year data from the study, and on Tuesday they said the treatment ‘continued to demonstrate sustained and clinically meaningful improvement’ in reducing the risk of death and relapse.

The companies currently have eight Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials across multiple tumor types, including melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, bladder cancer and renal cell carcinoma.”

From Wall Street Journal.

“In 21 studies involving more than 104 million participants in Europe, Asia and North America, vaccination against shingles was associated with a 24 percent reduction in the risk of developing dementia. Flu vaccination was linked to a 13 percent reduction. Those vaccinated for pneumococcal infection had a 36 percent reduction in Alzheimer’s risk.

The Tdap vaccine against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough) is recommended for adults every 10 years, with vaccination among older adults often prompted by the birth of a grandchild, who cannot be fully vaccinated for months. It was associated with a one-third decline in dementia.

Other researchers are investigating the effects of shingles vaccination on heart attacks and stroke and of Covid vaccination on cancer survival.

What causes such vaccine bonuses? Most hypotheses focus on the inflammation that arises when the immune system mobilizes to fight off an infection.”

From New York Times.

“An Oxford-designed vaccine for Nipah virus has launched phase two trials, in a ‘major milestone’ for efforts to curb the deadly pathogen and boost pandemic preparedness.

The disease – which inspired the Hollywood blockbuster Contagion – is rare but extremely deadly, with a fatality rate as high as 75 per cent. The World Health Organization considers it a priority pathogen for research, as no vaccines or treatments currently exist to tackle it.

This month a jab developed by the University of Oxford, which uses the same ChAdOx platform as the institution’s Covid-19 shot, became the first Nipah vaccine candidate to enter phase two clinical trials to assess safety and the immune response.

It is also the first vaccine to be trialled in a region directly affected by the virus. Bangladesh has sporadic outbreaks every year, with Nipah mostly spreading from fruit bats to people via contaminated raw date palm sap – although some human-to-human transmission through bodily fluids is also possible.”

From Telegraph.