Autism risk not increased by early vaccines

Source: Reuters

In a study slated to appear in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers said there is no association between receiving "too many vaccines too soon" and autism, despite some fears among parents around the number of vaccines given both on a single day and over the first 2 years of life.

Seth Berkley on Immunization in Pakistan

Source: Heartfile eForum Blog

Every child, no matter where he or she is born, should have the opportunity and the right to a healthy life, and vaccines are one of the best ways to provide that.

South Africa Plays Leading Role in the Development of New Tuberculosis Vaccines

Source: Impatient Optimists

This week more than 250 scientists, researchers, and Tuberculosis (TB) advocates from all over the world will gather in Cape Town, South Africa, at the Third Global Forum on TB Vaccines to share findings and look to the future of TB vaccine research and development.

Gates says world must push to finally eradicate polio

Source: AFP

Bill Gates said Tuesday that the world must commit to wiping out the remaining cases of polio and finally eradicate the disease despite squeezed aid budgets and violence plaguing vaccination efforts.

Violence, vaccine fears keep polio from disappearing

Source: AFP

 Sixty years after the first successful polio vaccine trial, the disease has been wiped out in much of the world, but violence, conspiracy theories and lack of cash keep it from disappearing.

Eradicating Polio: How One Man Changed His View on Vaccines

Source: Impatient Optimists

It’s a universal truth that parents want what’s best for their children. Unfortunately, when a parent questions the value of vaccines, he puts his entire community at risk. But as I learned in India in 2008, this shared risk can sometimes be part of the solution.

Malaria vaccine test results disappoint

Source: The Guardian

Optimism over the new malaria vaccine being tested in Africa could be set to fall after results suggested its effect could reduce over time and that it disappears fastest in children who are most exposed to malarial mosquito bites.

Rwanda rolls out fundamental measles and rubella vaccine

Source: ONE

Every night I go to bed knowing that the health of the children of Rwanda and of the world is better. This is what moves me forward every day. This week, I am very proud, because Rwanda was the first country in Africa to introduce the conjugate measles and rubella vaccine, thanks to GAVI’s support.

Connecting the dots between vaccines and hunger

Source: The Guardian/Seth Berkley

On Red Nose Day, we are reminded of the famine in Ethiopia that triggered the first Comic Relief, over 25 years ago. And as we reflect, we now know that the link between malnutrition and infectious disease makes for a particularly vicious circle.

Comic Relief and GAVI: A Fun Partnership That Is Saving Lives

Source: The Huffington Post

There's something so genuine and heartwarming in sharing a laugh with a little boy or girl. People of all ages love to share their happiness. Laugh, and the whole world laughs with you.

IKEA, Vodafone CEOs Announce Support for Life-Saving Aid

Source: Impatient Optimists

Today, CEOs of IKEA UK along with GlaxoSmithKline, Vodafone Group, HarperCollins and a host of other FTSE 100 companies declared their support to UK's Prime Minister David Cameron, applauding his "decision to stick to the UK's commitment to overseas aid to the developing world, despite the tough economic times." Cameron's announced 2013 budget includes 0.7% for aid to countries in need. There have been major successes when it comes to aid provided by the UK to developing countries: 370 million children have been immunised in the world’s poorest countries through the GAVI Alliance.

Unsung Vaccine Heroes

Source: Impatient Optimists

A recently compiled list of Vaccine Influencers is making the rounds. It is dominated by the usual suspects such as heads of agencies and departments, including our own. So many others immediately to mind for us—those who have been just as valuable as influencers in ensuring access to vaccines for children globally. We would like to acknowledge some of these unsung heroes.

A Winning Example of Advocating for Health

Source: The Huffington Post/Steve Davis, CEO, PATH

This past January in Geneva, a large conference center buzzed with the energy of negotiation and refinement. Inside each meeting room, a few hundred people from around the world sat or stood or huddled in clusters, reasoning and deliberating their way toward an international agreement on mercury use convened by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Just a few days later, capping almost three years of negotiations marked by deep involvement from PATH and our partners, delegates from 140 countries approved the global treaty with language that protects the use of the vaccine preservative thimerosal and preserves global access to vaccines.

Speech by Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director, to the High Level Dialogue on Health in the Post-2015 Agend

Source: UNICEF

“Who said that: ‘Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have’? It was Winston Churchill. But it could have been anyone with common sense. Because the ambitions of a society can only be realized through the ambitions of its people ― their energy, intelligence, education and vision.

Dagfinn Høybråten New Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers

Source: Norden

Dagfinn Høybråten took over as Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers on 4 March 2013. He replaces Halldór Ásgrímsson who steps down after six years. Høybråten takes on his new role with the ambition of developing and strengthening Nordic co-operation: There is potential for much great co-operation in the Nordic Region than we exploit today. As Secretary General I look forward to contributing to realising this potential.

Leading scientists sign up to global cancer manifesto

Source: The Guardian

It is time to take what we know about basic cancer prevention and care into the poorest countries. It is also time to rethink the way ahead for cancer research, so everybody benefits and money is not wasted on hugely expensive but ineffective treatments...The scientists call for cheaper versions of the HPV vaccine, against the virus which triggers most cervical cancer, to be developed and used across poor countries. And they want more research into vaccines against other cancer-causing viruses, like hepatitis C.

India takes pentavalent vaccine to 5 million children

Source: The Hindu

Five million Indian children were vaccinated with the five-in-one pentavalent shots in just over a year. Jammu and Kashmir became the sixth State to introduce the vaccines as part of the universal immunisation programme.

WHO, Islamic leaders summit to stop polio worker attacks

Source: Reuters

Top World Health Organization officials and Islamic leaders will meet in Egypt next week in an effort to stop attacks on polio workers, which are hampering the eradication of the virus in some countries with large Muslim populations.

How is health linked to development?

Source: Seth Berkley

Over the weekend I will be making my way to Botswana to participate in the global thematic consultation on health in the post 2015 development agenda.