Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2016/04/flu-scan-apr-26-2016
Flu Scan for Apr 26, 2016
Morning vs afternoon flu shots; H5N1 outbreaks in Iraq
Filed Under:
Influenza Vaccines; Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
[h=3]Study notes stronger immune response in those getting morning flu shots[/h] Flu vaccine might produce a stronger immune response in older adults when administered in the morning versus the afternoon, according to a study published today in Vaccine.
UK researchers studied 276 adults 65 or older who were vaccinated from 2011 to 2013 in either the morning (9:00 to 11:00) or afternoon (3:00 to 5:00). The mean difference in antibody levels, as measured by antibody titer, was statistically significantly greater among those vaccinated in the morning than the afternoon group for the H1N1 and B strains but not for H3N2, with the mean difference for the H1N1 strain particularly pronounced.
Janet Lord, PhD, a study coauthor from the University of Birmingham, said in a university news release, "A significant amount of resource is used to try and prevent flu infection each year, particularly in older adults, but less than half make enough antibody to be fully protected. Our results suggest that by shifting the time of those vaccinations to the morning we can improve their efficiency with no extra cost to the health service."
The investigators wrote that earlier, smaller studies provided mixed evidence for time-of-day immune response. The noted that they missed their target study population of 400 people, which would have lent greater power to their findings. The study also did not determine vaccine effectiveness.
Apr 26 Vaccine study
Apr 25 University of Birmingham news release
[h=3]Iraq reports first H5N1 outbreak in 10 years, affecting more than 700,000 poultry[/h] Iraq yesterday reported its first H5N1 avian flu outbreaks in poultry since the spring of 2006, detailing six outbreaks involving 718,599 poultry to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
The outbreaks began from Dec 16, 2015, to Feb 7, on five farms and in one backyard flock ranging from north to south in the middle portion of the country. Iraqi health officials did not elaborate on the delay in reporting the outbreaks.
By far the largest outbreak began in December in Duhok governorate in Iraqi Kurdistan in the far north. It involved a farm of 685,975 birds, 64,500 of which were felled by the virus. The remaining flocks ranged from a 124-bird backyard flock to a farm of 10,000 birds.
All told, 77,101 poultry died from H5N1 infections and 641,498 were culled to prevent disease spread.
Apr 25 OIE report
Flu Scan for Apr 26, 2016
Morning vs afternoon flu shots; H5N1 outbreaks in Iraq
Filed Under:
Influenza Vaccines; Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
[h=3]Study notes stronger immune response in those getting morning flu shots[/h] Flu vaccine might produce a stronger immune response in older adults when administered in the morning versus the afternoon, according to a study published today in Vaccine.
UK researchers studied 276 adults 65 or older who were vaccinated from 2011 to 2013 in either the morning (9:00 to 11:00) or afternoon (3:00 to 5:00). The mean difference in antibody levels, as measured by antibody titer, was statistically significantly greater among those vaccinated in the morning than the afternoon group for the H1N1 and B strains but not for H3N2, with the mean difference for the H1N1 strain particularly pronounced.
Janet Lord, PhD, a study coauthor from the University of Birmingham, said in a university news release, "A significant amount of resource is used to try and prevent flu infection each year, particularly in older adults, but less than half make enough antibody to be fully protected. Our results suggest that by shifting the time of those vaccinations to the morning we can improve their efficiency with no extra cost to the health service."
The investigators wrote that earlier, smaller studies provided mixed evidence for time-of-day immune response. The noted that they missed their target study population of 400 people, which would have lent greater power to their findings. The study also did not determine vaccine effectiveness.
Apr 26 Vaccine study
Apr 25 University of Birmingham news release
[h=3]Iraq reports first H5N1 outbreak in 10 years, affecting more than 700,000 poultry[/h] Iraq yesterday reported its first H5N1 avian flu outbreaks in poultry since the spring of 2006, detailing six outbreaks involving 718,599 poultry to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
The outbreaks began from Dec 16, 2015, to Feb 7, on five farms and in one backyard flock ranging from north to south in the middle portion of the country. Iraqi health officials did not elaborate on the delay in reporting the outbreaks.
By far the largest outbreak began in December in Duhok governorate in Iraqi Kurdistan in the far north. It involved a farm of 685,975 birds, 64,500 of which were felled by the virus. The remaining flocks ranged from a 124-bird backyard flock to a farm of 10,000 birds.
All told, 77,101 poultry died from H5N1 infections and 641,498 were culled to prevent disease spread.
Apr 25 OIE report