NEWS TRENDS ANALYSIS :: THE OBSERVATORY


people got measles each year in the U.S., along with an estimated 400 to 500 deaths and 48,000 hospitalizations. Measles was eliminated in the


U.S. for two main reasons: t Availability and widespread use


t strong public health infra- structure to detect and contain measles.


CDC encourages parents with questions about measles vac- cine to consult with their child’s pediatrician.


Assays New era of comprehensive and


objective diagnostic testing for vaginitis. Hologic announced that the FDA has granted clearance for its new Aptima BV and Aptima CV/TV assays, which provide an accurate and objective method for diagnosing vaginitis, a very common and complex health issue affecting millions of women each year.


About 90 percent of vaginitis is caused by bacterial vaginosis (BV), vulvovaginal candidiasis (Candida vaginitis, CV, also com- monly known as yeast infections), or Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) infec- tions, either individually or in combination. In fact, BV is the most common


vaginal infection in the United States, affecting an estimated 21 million women ages 14 to 49 years old. Diagnosis can be especially complicated due to the prevalence of co-infections, as approximately 20 to 30 percent of women with BV are co-infected with Candida species. Traditional methods for diagnosing vaginitis (including microscopy, pH deter- mination, and Nugent scoring) are highly subjective, leading to misdiagnosis and ineffec- tive treatment. When diagnosed using traditional methods and treated based on those subjective results, more than 50 percent of women with vaginitis experience recurring symptoms. Unfortunately, many women self-diagnose and self-treat before visiting a healthcare pro- vider, assuming that abnormal vaginal discharge, itching or irritation is due to a simple yeast infection. When BV or TV are left


of a safe and highly effective measles vaccine, and


untreated or not properly treated, these infections can put women at risk for a wide variety of com- plications, including an increased chance of getting a sexually trans- mitted infection (STI) such as chlamydia or HIV, pelvic inflam- matory disease, and pregnancy- related risks including premature delivery, low birth weight and infertility.


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NIH announces two awards for multi-year studies of influ- enza immunity in children. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the NIH, has announced two awards for the study of influenza immunity in children. The awards, which may total more than $64 million over seven years, will support studies led by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Cen- ter in Ohio and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, examining how young chil- dren’s immune systems respond over multiple years to their ini- tial influenza infection and first vaccination.


Studies suggest that a person’s


first encounter with an influenza virus or vaccine, which usually occurs in early childhood, influ- ences how their immune system reacts to subsequent influenza virus or vaccine exposures. This phenomenon, called “immuno- logic imprinting,” may help pro- tect against future infections with similar influenza subtypes. It may also impact—and, in some cases, negatively influence—how a per- son’s immune system responds to a seasonal influenza vaccination. However, the specific effects of imprinting are still poorly understood. By studying chil- dren’s immune responses to early influenza infection and subse- quent exposures as they mature, researchers hope to understand the factors underlying immune memory and a person’s ability to mount an immune response to different influenza subtypes. Such insights could help scien- tists design more effective influ- enza vaccines. The research will also address a knowledge gap identified in NIAID’s strategic plan for developing a universal influenza vaccine—a vaccine that


can provide durable protection for all age groups against multiple influenza strains, including those that might cause a pandemic. Principal investigators Paul Thomas, PhD, of St. Jude Chil- dren’s Research Hospital, and Aubree Gordon, PhD, of the University of Michigan School of Public Health, will lead stud- ies designed to follow more than 3,000 infants and young chil- dren in Los Angeles; Managua, Nicaragua; and Wellington, New Zealand for seven years. This grant may provide up to $34.3 million in support over seven years.


Another grant will fund prin- cipal investigator Mary A. Staat, MD, of Cincinnati Children’s to follow more than 2,000 infants and their mothers from sites in Cincinnati and Mexico City for at least three years, using weekly clinical visits to gather valuable data about the changes in their immune systems. This award may total as much as $29.9 million over seven years. Both research teams will regu- larly collect nasal swabs and blood samples from participat- ing infants and young children to understand immune B-cell and T-cell responses and function, the antibodies produced, and other changes as the children’s immune systems develop and encounter the influenza virus and influenza vaccines for the first time. Parents or caregivers will be asked to provide informed consent for their children to participate in the studies. Investigators hope that their findings may provide insight into how imprinting may be used to boost the effectiveness of influ- enza vaccines, or how a new vac- cine may provide broader immu- nity against influenza early in a child’s life.


Correction Please note a correction in MLO’s


June Product Focus found on page 38; the digital link to Thermo Fisher Scientific’s “Fully auto- mated random access bench-top systems” was printed incorrectly. It has since been updated on all electronic versions. We apologize for the inconvenience.


MLO-ONLINE.COM JULY 2019 7


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