The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services,and is headquartered in Atlanta,Georgia.
The DPT vaccine or DTP vaccine is a class of combination vaccines against three infectious diseases in humans:diphtheria,pertussis,and tetanus. The vaccine components include diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and either killed whole cells of the bacterium that causes pertussis or pertussis antigens. The term toxoid refers to vaccines which use an inactivated toxin produced by the pathogen which they are targeted against to generate an immune response. In this way,the toxoid vaccine generates an immune response which is targeted against the toxin which is produced by the pathogen and causes disease,rather than a vaccine which is targeted against the pathogen itself. The whole cells or antigens will be depicted as either "DTwP" or "DTaP",where the lower-case "w" indicates whole-cell inactivated pertussis and the lower-case "a" stands for "acellular". In comparison to alternative vaccine types,such as live attenuated vaccines,the DTP vaccine does not contain any live pathogen,but rather uses inactivated toxoid to generate an immune response;therefore,there is not a risk of use in populations that are immune compromised since there is not any known risk of causing the disease itself. As a result,the DTP vaccine is considered a safe vaccine to use in anyone and it generates a much more targeted immune response specific for the pathogen of interest.
Influenza vaccines,colloquially known as flu shots,are vaccines that protect against infection by influenza viruses. New versions of the vaccines are developed twice a year,as the influenza virus rapidly changes. While their effectiveness varies from year to year,most provide modest to high protection against influenza. Vaccination against influenza began in the 1930s,with large-scale availability in the United States beginning in 1945.
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) is a weekly epidemiological digest for the United States published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It was originally established as Weekly Health Index in 1930,changing its title to Weekly Mortality Index in 1941 and Morbidity and Mortality in 1952. It acquired its current name in 1976. It is the main vehicle for publishing public health information and recommendations that have been received by the CDC from state health departments. Material published in the report is in the public domain and may be reprinted without permission. As of 2019,the journal's editor-in-chief is Charlotte Kent.
Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine,sold under the brand name Pneumovax 23,is a pneumococcal vaccine that is used for the prevention of pneumococcal disease caused by the 23 serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae contained in the vaccine as capsular polysaccharides. It is given by intramuscular or subcutaneous injection.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is a committee within the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that provides advice and guidance on effective control of vaccine-preventable diseases in the U.S. civilian population. The ACIP develops written recommendations for routine administration of vaccines to the pediatric and adult populations,along with vaccination schedules regarding appropriate timing,dosage,and contraindications of vaccines. ACIP statements are official federal recommendations for the use of vaccines and immune globulins in the U.S.,and are published by the CDC.
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is a pneumococcal vaccine made with the conjugate vaccine method and used to protect infants,young children,and adults against disease caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). It contains purified capsular polysaccharide of pneumococcal serotypes conjugated to a carrier protein to improve antibody response compared to the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of the conjugate vaccine in routine immunizations given to children.
A breakthrough infection is a case of illness in which a vaccinated individual becomes infected with the illness,because the vaccine has failed to provide complete immunity against the pathogen. Breakthrough infections have been identified in individuals immunized against a variety of diseases including mumps,varicella (Chickenpox),influenza,and COVID-19. The characteristics of the breakthrough infection are dependent on the virus itself. Often,infection of the vaccinated individual results in milder symptoms and shorter duration than if the infection were contracted naturally.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,formed in 1946,is the leading national public health institute of the United States. It is a United States federal agency,under the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Its main goal is to protect public health and safety through the control and prevention of disease,injury,and disability in the US and internationally.
Pneumococcal vaccines are vaccines against the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. Their use can prevent some cases of pneumonia,meningitis,and sepsis. There are two types of pneumococcal vaccines:conjugate vaccines and polysaccharide vaccines. They are given by injection either into a muscle or just under the skin.
Zika fever,also known as Zika virus disease or simply Zika,is an infectious disease caused by the Zika virus. Most cases have no symptoms,but when present they are usually mild and can resemble dengue fever. Symptoms may include fever,red eyes,joint pain,headache,and a maculopapular rash. Symptoms generally last less than seven days. It has not caused any reported deaths during the initial infection. Mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy can cause microcephaly and other brain malformations in some babies. Infections in adults have been linked to Guillain–Barrésyndrome (GBS).
NmVac4-A/C/Y/W-135 is the commercial name of the polysaccharide vaccine against the bacterium that causes meningococcal meningitis. The product,by JN-International Medical Corporation,is designed and formulated to be used in developing countries for protecting populations during meningitis disease epidemics.
Meningococcal vaccine refers to any vaccine used to prevent infection by Neisseria meningitidis. Different versions are effective against some or all of the following types of meningococcus:A,B,C,W-135,and Y. The vaccines are between 85 and 100% effective for at least two years. They result in a decrease in meningitis and sepsis among populations where they are widely used. They are given either by injection into a muscle or just under the skin.
Anne Schuchat is an American medical doctor. She is a former rear admiral and assistant surgeon general in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. She also served as the principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In May 2021,Schuchat stepped down from her post.
Zika virus is a member of the virus family Flaviviridae. It is spread by daytime-active Aedes mosquitoes,such as A. aegypti and A. albopictus. Its name comes from the Ziika Forest of Uganda,where the virus was first isolated in 1947. Zika virus shares a genus with the dengue,yellow fever,Japanese encephalitis,and West Nile viruses. Since the 1950s,it has been known to occur within a narrow equatorial belt from Africa to Asia. From 2007 to 2016,the virus spread eastward,across the Pacific Ocean to the Americas,leading to the 2015–2016 Zika virus epidemic.
A Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) is a document designed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide information to a patient receiving a vaccine in the United States. The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act requires that medical professionals provide a VIS to patients before receiving certain vaccinations. The VIS includes information about the vaccine's benefits and risks,a description of the vaccine,indications and contraindications,instructions for patients experiencing an adverse reaction,and additional resources.
In the United States,the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in 103,436,829 confirmed cases with 1,170,784 all-time deaths,the most of any country,and the 20th-highest per capita worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic ranks first on the list of disasters in the United States by death toll;it was the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2020,behind heart disease and cancer. From 2019 to 2020,U.S. life expectancy dropped by 3 years for Hispanic and Latino Americans,2.9 years for African Americans,and 1.2 years for white Americans. These effects persisted as U.S. deaths due to COVID-19 in 2021 exceeded those in 2020,and life expectancy continued to fall from 2020 to 2021.
Nancy Messonnier is an American physician who served as the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2016 to 2021. She worked on the CDC's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
The Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine,sold under the brand name Comirnaty,is an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine developed by the German biotechnology company BioNTech. For its development,BioNTech collaborated with the American company Pfizer to carry out clinical trials,logistics,and manufacturing. It is authorized for use in humans to provide protection against COVID-19,caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The vaccine is given by intramuscular injection. It is composed of nucleoside-modified mRNA (modRNA) encoding a mutated form of the full-length spike protein of SARS-CoV-2,which is encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles. Initial advice indicated that vaccination required two doses given 21 days apart,but the interval was later extended to up to 42 days in the US,and up to four months in Canada.
Trudy Virginia Noller Murphy is an American pediatric infectious diseases physician,public health epidemiologist and vaccinologist. During the 1980s and 1990s,she conducted research at Southwestern Medical School in Dallas,Texas on three bacterial pathogens:Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib),Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus),and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Murphy's studies advanced understanding of how these organisms spread within communities,particularly among children attending day care centers. Her seminal work on Hib vaccines elucidated the effects of introduction of new Hib vaccines on both bacterial carriage and control of invasive Hib disease. Murphy subsequently joined the National Immunization Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) where she led multi-disciplinary teams in the Divisions of Epidemiology and Surveillance and The Viral Hepatitis Division. Among her most influential work at CDC was on Rotashield™,which was a newly licensed vaccine designed to prevent severe diarrheal disease caused by rotavirus. Murphy and her colleagues uncovered that the vaccine increased the risk of acute bowel obstruction (intussusception). This finding prompted suspension of the national recommendation to vaccinate children with Rotashield,and led the manufacturer to withdraw the vaccine from the market. For this work Murphy received the United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary's Award for Distinguished Service in 2000,and the publication describing this work was recognized in 2002 by the Charles C. Shepard Science Award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
