Thank you for this update regarding bird flu and the sad passing of the Louisiana patient. Hopefully more tests are being made for the public and hospitals, new bird flu vaccines asap. I wear my mask in all public places and so do my 23, 24, 26 year olds (grocery, pharmacy, museum, theater, coffee or pizza shop for take-out pick up etc., doctors appointments, labs, movies, public transit, work, library, bookstore) It’s easy to mask up and it’s kind to self and society 😃Hopefully more people will mask 😷 up in January and February when respiratory infections and viruses are so common and bewildering. Masking together is cool 😎 even in March at St Patty’s Day etc ~ sometimes flu is around til April Geesh ( We love ❤️ masks 😷they’re a noble, wise invention)
Speaking as a family doc and clinician with an MPH and infectious epidemiology experience, I think you are incorrect when you opine, "While concerning, the death of the Louisiana man does not change my threat assessment for H5N1." Your analysis is probably valid from the clinic or ER perspective, but from a public health, population perspective the risk is getting concernedly higher week by week, especially when compared to the risk in spring, 2024 - less than a year ago.
Infectious spread management and messaging was rather inept during COVID and "freedom/liberty - don't trust science or government" reactionary attitudes exploded as well. Every effort needs to be made to re-invigorate the nation's collective, community, public health perspective which has atrophied. Your assessment (along with the CDC's) that the risk is low remains valid for any individual American, but in terms of community risk the increasingly wide spread of H5N1 disease among birds and mammals across the whole country - not to mention a validated human fatality - has hugely increased the possibility (risk) of a (simple, one or two step) generic variant evolution able to cause massive human illness, morbidity and mortality. After all, Influenza A has caused several world wide pandemics in the past, including 1917-18.
Dr. Gordon given your training & MPH I would appreciate your thoughts on what I discovered somewhat recently.
Waning maternal antibodies for measles...
Edited from a post on the ISTM (travel medicine) site.
The protection provided by maternal antibodies in children of both vaccinated mothers and mothers who have had a measles infection is limited. Research shows that protection by maternal antibodies is hardly present in infants of vaccinated mothers during the first months of life. These infants are therefore more vulnerable to contracting measles than infants of mothers who have had a measles infection. Infants born to mothers who have had a measles infection do have some degree of protection from maternal antibodies, but for less time than previously thought. If the mother has had a measles infection, the infant can be considered protected by maternal antibodies up to 2 months after birth.
Vaccine effectiveness less than 12 months: The MMR vaccine effectiveness with early vaccination is lower than with vaccination at 14 mo's ( ~76% at 6 mo's, rising to 95% at 9 months) with permanently reduced antibody titers at a later age, even after follow-up vaccination(s). These effects are greatest when vaccinated at 6 months of age and decrease as vaccination occurs at a later age.
Given the sad state of global immunizations...🙏 It doesn't become worse in the US...the paradigm of adequate protection for newborns needs a revision. Yes, the challenge would be when or if to administer a live, attenuated vaccine to women planning to become pregnant.
Thank you for this update regarding bird flu and the sad passing of the Louisiana patient. Hopefully more tests are being made for the public and hospitals, new bird flu vaccines asap. I wear my mask in all public places and so do my 23, 24, 26 year olds (grocery, pharmacy, museum, theater, coffee or pizza shop for take-out pick up etc., doctors appointments, labs, movies, public transit, work, library, bookstore) It’s easy to mask up and it’s kind to self and society 😃Hopefully more people will mask 😷 up in January and February when respiratory infections and viruses are so common and bewildering. Masking together is cool 😎 even in March at St Patty’s Day etc ~ sometimes flu is around til April Geesh ( We love ❤️ masks 😷they’re a noble, wise invention)
Speaking as a family doc and clinician with an MPH and infectious epidemiology experience, I think you are incorrect when you opine, "While concerning, the death of the Louisiana man does not change my threat assessment for H5N1." Your analysis is probably valid from the clinic or ER perspective, but from a public health, population perspective the risk is getting concernedly higher week by week, especially when compared to the risk in spring, 2024 - less than a year ago.
Infectious spread management and messaging was rather inept during COVID and "freedom/liberty - don't trust science or government" reactionary attitudes exploded as well. Every effort needs to be made to re-invigorate the nation's collective, community, public health perspective which has atrophied. Your assessment (along with the CDC's) that the risk is low remains valid for any individual American, but in terms of community risk the increasingly wide spread of H5N1 disease among birds and mammals across the whole country - not to mention a validated human fatality - has hugely increased the possibility (risk) of a (simple, one or two step) generic variant evolution able to cause massive human illness, morbidity and mortality. After all, Influenza A has caused several world wide pandemics in the past, including 1917-18.
Dr. Gordon given your training & MPH I would appreciate your thoughts on what I discovered somewhat recently.
Waning maternal antibodies for measles...
Edited from a post on the ISTM (travel medicine) site.
The protection provided by maternal antibodies in children of both vaccinated mothers and mothers who have had a measles infection is limited. Research shows that protection by maternal antibodies is hardly present in infants of vaccinated mothers during the first months of life. These infants are therefore more vulnerable to contracting measles than infants of mothers who have had a measles infection. Infants born to mothers who have had a measles infection do have some degree of protection from maternal antibodies, but for less time than previously thought. If the mother has had a measles infection, the infant can be considered protected by maternal antibodies up to 2 months after birth.
Vaccine effectiveness less than 12 months: The MMR vaccine effectiveness with early vaccination is lower than with vaccination at 14 mo's ( ~76% at 6 mo's, rising to 95% at 9 months) with permanently reduced antibody titers at a later age, even after follow-up vaccination(s). These effects are greatest when vaccinated at 6 months of age and decrease as vaccination occurs at a later age.
Given the sad state of global immunizations...🙏 It doesn't become worse in the US...the paradigm of adequate protection for newborns needs a revision. Yes, the challenge would be when or if to administer a live, attenuated vaccine to women planning to become pregnant.
Appreciatively yours JJF