Pandemics have consequences beyond the death and disease directly caused by the novel pathogen. In the 1918 influenza pandemic, more deaths were caused by the pneumococcal bacterium among those made susceptible to bacterial infection by influenza than by the flu itself.

One potential byproduct of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic is the threat of an old scourge: measles. In the United States, two doses of measles vaccines are recommended for all children. These doses are usually administered as the measles, mumps and rubella combined vaccine. The first dose is given at 12 to 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 to 6 years of age. Schools in all states require measles vaccination for entry, though they allow various medical or nonmedical exemptions.

Read more at Los Angeles Times.

The United States has ordered 500,000 more monkeypox vaccine doses for delivery this year, the manufacturer said Friday.

The order islarger than earlier onesto the U.S. — including 36,000 doses to be delivered this week — and represents a significant escalation in the fight against a growing monkeypox outbreak.

Read more at Politico.

Parents anxious to finally vaccinate their youngest children against COVID-19, strap in: A lot is set to happen over the next week.

On Wednesday, both Moderna and Pfizer will have to convince what’s essentially a science court — advisers to the Food and Drug Administration — that their shots work well in babies, toddlers and preschoolers.

Read more at ABC News.

The FDA has approved Priorix (measles, mumps and rubella [MMR] vaccine, live; GSK) active immunization for the prevention of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) in individuals 12 months of age and older. Priorix can be administered as a first dose, followed by a second dose of the vaccine, or as a second dose to those previously administered the first dose of another MMR-containing vaccine.

The efficacy of Priorix was demonstrated based on immunogenicity data versus the comparator vaccine, according to GSK. The vaccine is set to be on the agenda this month for review by the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for consideration of formal inclusion into the vaccine schedule and recommendations.

Read more at Pharmacy Times.

As COVID-19 cases began to accelerate again this spring, federal data suggests the rate of breakthrough COVID infections in April was worse in boosted Americans compared to unboosted Americans — though rates of deaths and hospitalizations remained the lowest among the boosted.

The new data do not mean booster shots are somehow increasing the risk. Ongoing studies continue to provide strong evidence of additional protection offered by booster shots against infection, severe disease, and death.

Read more at CBS News.

You may not think of your dentist as an investigator but when it comes to your oral health, I take on that role.

At every dental check-up with me, you’ll notice that I use a gloved finger to feel the sides, roof and bottom of your mouth. I will also lift your tongue to look under it, and I will palpate your neck. What’s going on? 

Read more at The Register-Guard.

For decades, anti-vaccine movements have generated and spread rumours that vaccines cause serious health problems. The rollout of COVID vaccines has provided new opportunities to spread misinformation.

At the start of the pandemic, people were already worried about the virus and the impact of other public health measures, such as lockdowns, on their physical and social well-being. As COVID vaccines were rolled out, concerns mounted about the small but serious risk of blood clots linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Read more at The Conversation.

SOUTHERN COLORADO — Children under the age of five may soon be able to get their first COVID-19 vaccinations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to authorize emergency use of the vaccines for that age group next week. First doses could be administered as early as June 21.

Read more at KOAA News 5.

A new study posted on the medRxiv* preprint server found that despite a lower coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine efficacy against reinfection with the Omicron variant, these vaccines demonstrate a marked efficacy against reinfection with severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Alpha and Delta variants, as well as the Omicron variant––lasting up to nine months, post-vaccination. Therefore, individuals who have been infected by the virus in the past must also obtain COVID-19 vaccination.

Read more at News Medical Life Sciences.

The White House laid out the federal government’s plans to make the first COVID-19 vaccines available for very young children.

COVID-19 vaccinations for kids younger than 5 could start right after the Juneteenth holiday.

In a White House briefing on Thursday, Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House’s COVID-19 response coordinator, said if the Food and Drug Administration authorizes vaccines for the youngest kids soon after a June 15 advisory meeting, shipments of the first 10 million doses could start arriving at doctors’ offices as soon as the following weekend.

Read more at NPR.