Continued Discoveries About Lifesaving Vaccines

More than two centuries since the invention of the first vaccine, a great deal is still being uncovered about lifesaving sera. Some discoveries in just the past six months include researchers learning how maternal pertussis booster vaccine can provide greater protection against whooping cough in newborns, and how the influenza vaccine reduces the risk of flu-associated death by half among children with high-risk medical conditions and by two-thirds among healthy children.

Additionally, new vaccines continue to proliferate around the world. In March, researchers in India developed a new less-expensive vaccine to protect against the deadly rotavirus. This heat-stable vaccine that doesn’t require refrigeration offers great hope for the thousands of children who die from the disease in sub-Saharan Africa. And, as we discuss in our article “Coming Soon: A Highly Effective New Vaccine to Prevent Shingles,” a new high-potency shingles vaccine is now under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and could be available later this year. Results from two clinical trials show a dramatic reduction in the risk of developing shingles and debilitating post-herpatic neuralgia in adults aged 50 years and older.

Yet, while the number of vaccines continues to grow, shortages do occur. In fact, since 2000, the U.S. has experienced a series of shortages of vaccines that protect against a variety of diseases. In our article “Vaccine Supply in the U.S.: Understanding and Combating Shortages,” we review the reasons behind these shortages and what remedies are being taken. To ensure adequate future supplies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention monitors supply across the country, allocates distribution of vaccine to public and private sectors, and incentivizes manufacturers to continue to develop vaccines when it often costs more to produce them than they can recoup.

On the flip side of this topic is the troubling number of adults in the U.S. who do not receive recommended vaccines, despite their availability. As our article “Adult Vaccines: A Needed Boost” reveals, approximately 42,000 U.S. adults die from vaccine-preventable diseases each year. Yet, each year, the number of adults vaccinated fails to increase. Reasons for nonvaccination range from lack of awareness or perceived value to inadequate recommendations by healthcare providers and insurance reimbursement. With growing concern, many hospitals and clinics have stepped in at the grassroots level to increase awareness and make vaccines easier to get. And, state and federal organizations are doing their part by implementing plans and campaigns. Perhaps, if people understood the risks nonvaccination poses for both themselves and others, compliance would rise and preventable deaths would decrease.

Influenza is one of the principal causes of these deaths, especially during pandemics. The last pandemic, the Swine flu of 2009-2010, was responsible for 12,469 deaths in the U.S. As we explain in our article “The Rising Costs of Flu Pandemics,” it is predicted the costs of the next severe-strain pandemic will increase exponentially. But, it is hoped that initiatives that focus on surveillance, management and preparedness, as well as funding established by organizations across the world to assist low-income countries, will reduce these costs to avert such a disaster in the future.

As always, we hope you enjoy this issue of BioSupply Trends Quarterly, and find it both relevant and helpful to your practice.

Helping Healthcare Care,

Patrick M. Schmidt

Publisher