William R. Clark
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195336634
- eISBN:
- 9780199868568
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195336634.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Disease Ecology / Epidemiology
The immune system is the only thing standing between us and a world of microbial predators that could send us to an early and ugly death. It would be our only defense during the first hours of a ...
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The immune system is the only thing standing between us and a world of microbial predators that could send us to an early and ugly death. It would be our only defense during the first hours of a bioterrorist attack using some of these very microbes. Evolved over millions of years of to keep us alive long enough to reproduce, the immune system has developed an impressive armamentarium of powerful chemical and cellular weapons that make short work of hostile viruses and bacteria. It has also evolved amazing genetic strategies to keep pace with invading microbes that can reproduce — and thus alter their genetic blueprint — in under an hour. But this same system prevents us from accepting life-saving organ transplants. It is also capable of over-reacting, leading to immunopathologies and causing serious, even lethal, damage to our tissues and organs. Worse yet, our immune systems may decide we ourselves are foreign and attack otherwise healthy tissues, resulting in autoimmune disease. And finally, it is itself the target of one of the most deadly viruses humans have ever known: HIV, the agent of AIDS. Part I of this book describes the structure and function of the immune system at a biological and biochemical level. Part II examines the role of the immune system in a range of human diseases — many caused by the immune system itself.Less
The immune system is the only thing standing between us and a world of microbial predators that could send us to an early and ugly death. It would be our only defense during the first hours of a bioterrorist attack using some of these very microbes. Evolved over millions of years of to keep us alive long enough to reproduce, the immune system has developed an impressive armamentarium of powerful chemical and cellular weapons that make short work of hostile viruses and bacteria. It has also evolved amazing genetic strategies to keep pace with invading microbes that can reproduce — and thus alter their genetic blueprint — in under an hour. But this same system prevents us from accepting life-saving organ transplants. It is also capable of over-reacting, leading to immunopathologies and causing serious, even lethal, damage to our tissues and organs. Worse yet, our immune systems may decide we ourselves are foreign and attack otherwise healthy tissues, resulting in autoimmune disease. And finally, it is itself the target of one of the most deadly viruses humans have ever known: HIV, the agent of AIDS. Part I of this book describes the structure and function of the immune system at a biological and biochemical level. Part II examines the role of the immune system in a range of human diseases — many caused by the immune system itself.
Nanshan Zhong and Guangqiao Zeng
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198568193
- eISBN:
- 9780191718175
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198568193.003.0005
- Subject:
- Biology, Disease Ecology / Epidemiology
SARS originated from the Guangdong province of China where it emerged in the autumn of 2002. This chapter presents data that show that there may have been interspecies transmission between wild ...
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SARS originated from the Guangdong province of China where it emerged in the autumn of 2002. This chapter presents data that show that there may have been interspecies transmission between wild animals (e.g., Himalayan Palm Civets) and human beings. It describes the ensuing public health measures that were implemented, the treatment of cases, and the development of an inactivated SARS vaccine.Less
SARS originated from the Guangdong province of China where it emerged in the autumn of 2002. This chapter presents data that show that there may have been interspecies transmission between wild animals (e.g., Himalayan Palm Civets) and human beings. It describes the ensuing public health measures that were implemented, the treatment of cases, and the development of an inactivated SARS vaccine.
Paul Offit and Charlotte Moser
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231153072
- eISBN:
- 9780231526715
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231153072.001.0001
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
This book answers questions about the science and safety of modern vaccines. In straightforward prose, it explains how vaccines work, how they are made, and how they are tested. Most important, it ...
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This book answers questions about the science and safety of modern vaccines. In straightforward prose, it explains how vaccines work, how they are made, and how they are tested. Most important, it separates the real risks of vaccines from feared but unfounded risks. The book addresses parental fears that children may receive too many vaccines too early, that the HPV vaccine may cause chronic fatigue or other dangerous side effects, that additives and preservatives in vaccines cause autism, and that vaccines might do more harm than good. This book offers honesty—instead of hype—in the quest to protect children's health.Less
This book answers questions about the science and safety of modern vaccines. In straightforward prose, it explains how vaccines work, how they are made, and how they are tested. Most important, it separates the real risks of vaccines from feared but unfounded risks. The book addresses parental fears that children may receive too many vaccines too early, that the HPV vaccine may cause chronic fatigue or other dangerous side effects, that additives and preservatives in vaccines cause autism, and that vaccines might do more harm than good. This book offers honesty—instead of hype—in the quest to protect children's health.
William R. Clark
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195336634
- eISBN:
- 9780199868568
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195336634.003.0007
- Subject:
- Biology, Disease Ecology / Epidemiology
The realization that many diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms ultimately made possible the rational development of vaccines. Killed or disabled microbes, their components, or even their ...
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The realization that many diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms ultimately made possible the rational development of vaccines. Killed or disabled microbes, their components, or even their DNA can be used to induce a state of immunity to the viable organism itself. Vaccines were largely responsible for the dramatic increase in life expectancy achieved in the 20th century. This chapter looks at how vaccines are produced, and focuses on two current challenges for world health officials — developing effective vaccines for malaria and tuberculosis. Recent advances in our understanding of how the immune system works has led to exciting new possibilities for vaccine production, particularly DNA-based vaccines.Less
The realization that many diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms ultimately made possible the rational development of vaccines. Killed or disabled microbes, their components, or even their DNA can be used to induce a state of immunity to the viable organism itself. Vaccines were largely responsible for the dramatic increase in life expectancy achieved in the 20th century. This chapter looks at how vaccines are produced, and focuses on two current challenges for world health officials — developing effective vaccines for malaria and tuberculosis. Recent advances in our understanding of how the immune system works has led to exciting new possibilities for vaccine production, particularly DNA-based vaccines.
William R. Clark
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195336214
- eISBN:
- 9780199868537
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195336214.003.0010
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology
What would it take to mount a catastrophic bioterrorist attack on America? What are the barriers to success? Who could do it, and what weapons would they use? In this chapter we analyze the attempts ...
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What would it take to mount a catastrophic bioterrorist attack on America? What are the barriers to success? Who could do it, and what weapons would they use? In this chapter we analyze the attempts at bioterrorism described in Chapter 2, and ask why they failed. This chapter concludes that it is virtually inconceivable that any terrorist organization we know of in the world today, foreign or domestic, could on their own develop, from scratch, a bioweapon capable of causing mass casualties on American soil. It is equally inconceivable that any state would supply terrorists with such weapons, for fear of having them turned back on themselves. Other forms of terrorism, using nuclear or conventional explosives, or mega-suicide gestures like 9/11, are technologically simpler, and equally or more effective in achieving terrorist goals. Deterrents against bioterrorism currently in place are reviewed.Less
What would it take to mount a catastrophic bioterrorist attack on America? What are the barriers to success? Who could do it, and what weapons would they use? In this chapter we analyze the attempts at bioterrorism described in Chapter 2, and ask why they failed. This chapter concludes that it is virtually inconceivable that any terrorist organization we know of in the world today, foreign or domestic, could on their own develop, from scratch, a bioweapon capable of causing mass casualties on American soil. It is equally inconceivable that any state would supply terrorists with such weapons, for fear of having them turned back on themselves. Other forms of terrorism, using nuclear or conventional explosives, or mega-suicide gestures like 9/11, are technologically simpler, and equally or more effective in achieving terrorist goals. Deterrents against bioterrorism currently in place are reviewed.
William R. Clark
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195336214
- eISBN:
- 9780199868537
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195336214.003.0005
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology
The greatest threat we face from biological agents of death today is not from humans – it is from nature itself. A bioterrorist attack that could kill hundreds, possibly thousands, of Americans is a ...
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The greatest threat we face from biological agents of death today is not from humans – it is from nature itself. A bioterrorist attack that could kill hundreds, possibly thousands, of Americans is a possibility, but one with low probability. A pandemic caused by a naturally occurring biological pathogen that could kill tens of thousands, possibly millions, of Americans is an absolute certainty. Natural pandemics are a regularly occurring phenomenon throughout history. The tens of billions spent on bioterrorism defense have modestly improved our ability to resist a natural pandemic, but only modestly. This chapter examines the history of natural pandemics in America, and decribes what must be done if we are to avoid the tragedy of the 1918 flu pandemic.Less
The greatest threat we face from biological agents of death today is not from humans – it is from nature itself. A bioterrorist attack that could kill hundreds, possibly thousands, of Americans is a possibility, but one with low probability. A pandemic caused by a naturally occurring biological pathogen that could kill tens of thousands, possibly millions, of Americans is an absolute certainty. Natural pandemics are a regularly occurring phenomenon throughout history. The tens of billions spent on bioterrorism defense have modestly improved our ability to resist a natural pandemic, but only modestly. This chapter examines the history of natural pandemics in America, and decribes what must be done if we are to avoid the tragedy of the 1918 flu pandemic.
Chloe Silverman
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691150468
- eISBN:
- 9781400840397
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691150468.003.0008
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology
This chapter explores the relationship between childhood vaccines and autism. A preponderance of evidence suggests that vaccines are not responsible for the increased prevalence of autism cases over ...
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This chapter explores the relationship between childhood vaccines and autism. A preponderance of evidence suggests that vaccines are not responsible for the increased prevalence of autism cases over the past two decades, although the matter remains unsettled. Still, parents who nonetheless believe that vaccines caused their child's autism are not impaired, in denial, or unable to comprehend statistical correlations. Their individual experiences and observations contradict the claims of scientists and the evidence against an association between immunizations and autism. As parents make claims about the environmental causes of autism, the chapter considers their explanations about the onset of their autistic children's symptoms and the ideological importance of intervening in processes of injury rather than disease. It also explains how parents' observations and informal trials can help researchers incorporate some of the passionate particularity of parental commitment and love into their own devotion and commitment to research programs and experimental facts.Less
This chapter explores the relationship between childhood vaccines and autism. A preponderance of evidence suggests that vaccines are not responsible for the increased prevalence of autism cases over the past two decades, although the matter remains unsettled. Still, parents who nonetheless believe that vaccines caused their child's autism are not impaired, in denial, or unable to comprehend statistical correlations. Their individual experiences and observations contradict the claims of scientists and the evidence against an association between immunizations and autism. As parents make claims about the environmental causes of autism, the chapter considers their explanations about the onset of their autistic children's symptoms and the ideological importance of intervening in processes of injury rather than disease. It also explains how parents' observations and informal trials can help researchers incorporate some of the passionate particularity of parental commitment and love into their own devotion and commitment to research programs and experimental facts.
Jaap Goudsmit
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195130348
- eISBN:
- 9780199790166
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195130348.003.0012
- Subject:
- Biology, Microbiology
This chapter discusses several issues concerning viruses. These include the increasing threat to humans posed by viruses, the settlement of virus families in the population, and the spread of viruses ...
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This chapter discusses several issues concerning viruses. These include the increasing threat to humans posed by viruses, the settlement of virus families in the population, and the spread of viruses when their hosts are older. The chapter also discusses the fact that viruses spread easily when dependant upon the conditions under which a host lives or is forced to live. Viruses destroy life and protect it at the same time, and the failure to defend against virus invasion with vaccines reduces the chances for survival of many people on several continents.Less
This chapter discusses several issues concerning viruses. These include the increasing threat to humans posed by viruses, the settlement of virus families in the population, and the spread of viruses when their hosts are older. The chapter also discusses the fact that viruses spread easily when dependant upon the conditions under which a host lives or is forced to live. Viruses destroy life and protect it at the same time, and the failure to defend against virus invasion with vaccines reduces the chances for survival of many people on several continents.
William R. Clark
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195336634
- eISBN:
- 9780199868568
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195336634.003.0011
- Subject:
- Biology, Disease Ecology / Epidemiology
Cancers arise as a result of mutations in genes controlling cell division. They may well arise in the body on a fairly frequent basis. Most or all cancers display information on their surface that ...
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Cancers arise as a result of mutations in genes controlling cell division. They may well arise in the body on a fairly frequent basis. Most or all cancers display information on their surface that should make them seem foreign; the rare tumors that emerge have somehow escaped detection by the immune system. Immune surveillance of tumors is largely the job of T cells and a specialized cell called the NK (natural killer) cell. Our improved understanding of the interaction between tumor cells and the immune system has led to promising possibilities for treating cancer in the future, including forms of gene therapy and DNA-based cancer vaccines.Less
Cancers arise as a result of mutations in genes controlling cell division. They may well arise in the body on a fairly frequent basis. Most or all cancers display information on their surface that should make them seem foreign; the rare tumors that emerge have somehow escaped detection by the immune system. Immune surveillance of tumors is largely the job of T cells and a specialized cell called the NK (natural killer) cell. Our improved understanding of the interaction between tumor cells and the immune system has led to promising possibilities for treating cancer in the future, including forms of gene therapy and DNA-based cancer vaccines.
William R. Clark
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195336634
- eISBN:
- 9780199868568
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195336634.003.0008
- Subject:
- Biology, Disease Ecology / Epidemiology
AIDS presents one of the greatest medical and scientific challenges of the past sixty years. This chapter examines AIDS as a medical problem, as a problem in virology, and from an immunological point ...
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AIDS presents one of the greatest medical and scientific challenges of the past sixty years. This chapter examines AIDS as a medical problem, as a problem in virology, and from an immunological point of view. Current approaches to dealing with AIDS have dramatically improved survival rates, but long-term survival has not been achieved. Treatments are hugely expensive, have unacceptable side effects, and have had minimal impact outside of first-world countries. The chapter thus also looks at future directions for AIDS research, including gene-therapy approaches, and DNA-based vaccines.Less
AIDS presents one of the greatest medical and scientific challenges of the past sixty years. This chapter examines AIDS as a medical problem, as a problem in virology, and from an immunological point of view. Current approaches to dealing with AIDS have dramatically improved survival rates, but long-term survival has not been achieved. Treatments are hugely expensive, have unacceptable side effects, and have had minimal impact outside of first-world countries. The chapter thus also looks at future directions for AIDS research, including gene-therapy approaches, and DNA-based vaccines.
Christine Holmberg, Stuart Blume, and Paul Greenough (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781526110886
- eISBN:
- 9781526124272
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9781526110886.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
In this book scholars from across the globe investigate changes in ‘society’ and ‘nation’ over time through the lens of immunisation. Such an analysis unmasks the idea of vaccination as a simple ...
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In this book scholars from across the globe investigate changes in ‘society’ and ‘nation’ over time through the lens of immunisation. Such an analysis unmasks the idea of vaccination as a simple health technology and makes visible the social and political complexities in which vaccination programmes are embedded. The collection of essays gives a comparative overview of immunisation at different times in widely different parts of the world and under different types of political regime. Core themes in the chapters include immunisation as an element of state formation; citizens’ articulation of seeing (or not seeing) their needs incorporated into public health practice; allegations that development aid is inappropriately steering third-world health policies; and an ideological shift that treats vaccines as marketable and profitable commodities rather than as essential tools of public health. Throughout, the authors explore relationships among vaccination, vaccine-making, and the discourses and debates on citizenship and nationhood that have accompanied mass vaccination campaigns. The thoughtful investigations of vaccination in relation to state power, concepts of national identify (and sense of solidarity) and individual citizens’ sense of obligation to self and others are completed by an afterword by eminent historian of vaccination William Muraskin. Reflecting on the well-funded global initiatives which do not correspond to the needs of poor countries, Muraskin asserts that an elite fraternity of self-selected global health leaders has undermined the United Nations system of collective health policy determination by launching global disease eradication and immunisation programmes over the last twenty years.Less
In this book scholars from across the globe investigate changes in ‘society’ and ‘nation’ over time through the lens of immunisation. Such an analysis unmasks the idea of vaccination as a simple health technology and makes visible the social and political complexities in which vaccination programmes are embedded. The collection of essays gives a comparative overview of immunisation at different times in widely different parts of the world and under different types of political regime. Core themes in the chapters include immunisation as an element of state formation; citizens’ articulation of seeing (or not seeing) their needs incorporated into public health practice; allegations that development aid is inappropriately steering third-world health policies; and an ideological shift that treats vaccines as marketable and profitable commodities rather than as essential tools of public health. Throughout, the authors explore relationships among vaccination, vaccine-making, and the discourses and debates on citizenship and nationhood that have accompanied mass vaccination campaigns. The thoughtful investigations of vaccination in relation to state power, concepts of national identify (and sense of solidarity) and individual citizens’ sense of obligation to self and others are completed by an afterword by eminent historian of vaccination William Muraskin. Reflecting on the well-funded global initiatives which do not correspond to the needs of poor countries, Muraskin asserts that an elite fraternity of self-selected global health leaders has undermined the United Nations system of collective health policy determination by launching global disease eradication and immunisation programmes over the last twenty years.
Rachel Casiday
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199562848
- eISBN:
- 9780191722523
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199562848.003.09
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
This chapter examines and compares two vaccination controversies from recent decades: the safety of whole-cell pertussis vaccine in the 1970s and 1980s, and the more recent controversy about the ...
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This chapter examines and compares two vaccination controversies from recent decades: the safety of whole-cell pertussis vaccine in the 1970s and 1980s, and the more recent controversy about the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine from 1997 onwards. Both of these controversies emerged in Britain with the publication of case reports of alleged paediatric neurological damage following immunization. Both were propelled by parental advocacy groups and legal actions on behalf of the affected children. And both resulted in diminished confidence in the vaccine in question and, more generally, in the state-sponsored public health system. This final aspect prompted widespread public health concern in both cases about under-immunization in the population, and about ways to improve risk communication and public confidence. A critical evaluation of the points of convergence and divergence between these two controversies is necessary to improve our understanding of why controversies about particular vaccines emerge, even when the bulk of scientific evidence points to their safety and utility, and will help develop effective risk communication strategies for the vaccine controversies that will surely arise in the future.Less
This chapter examines and compares two vaccination controversies from recent decades: the safety of whole-cell pertussis vaccine in the 1970s and 1980s, and the more recent controversy about the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine from 1997 onwards. Both of these controversies emerged in Britain with the publication of case reports of alleged paediatric neurological damage following immunization. Both were propelled by parental advocacy groups and legal actions on behalf of the affected children. And both resulted in diminished confidence in the vaccine in question and, more generally, in the state-sponsored public health system. This final aspect prompted widespread public health concern in both cases about under-immunization in the population, and about ways to improve risk communication and public confidence. A critical evaluation of the points of convergence and divergence between these two controversies is necessary to improve our understanding of why controversies about particular vaccines emerge, even when the bulk of scientific evidence points to their safety and utility, and will help develop effective risk communication strategies for the vaccine controversies that will surely arise in the future.
David S. Wendler
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199730087
- eISBN:
- 9780199776689
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199730087.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
The first chapter begins with an example of an important series of pediatric research studies, the studies that led to the development of vaccines for rotavirus. This example illustrates the dilemma ...
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The first chapter begins with an example of an important series of pediatric research studies, the studies that led to the development of vaccines for rotavirus. This example illustrates the dilemma posed by pediatric research between protecting individual children and improving pediatric medical care. The chapter then explains the importance and prevalence of pediatric research and ends with a summary of the argument that we have an interest in contributing to valuable projects. This interest suggests that “nonbeneficial” pediatric research can be justified when it involves the participating children contributing to a valuable project to help others.Less
The first chapter begins with an example of an important series of pediatric research studies, the studies that led to the development of vaccines for rotavirus. This example illustrates the dilemma posed by pediatric research between protecting individual children and improving pediatric medical care. The chapter then explains the importance and prevalence of pediatric research and ends with a summary of the argument that we have an interest in contributing to valuable projects. This interest suggests that “nonbeneficial” pediatric research can be justified when it involves the participating children contributing to a valuable project to help others.
Paul A. Offit and Charlotte A. Moser
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231153072
- eISBN:
- 9780231526715
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231153072.003.0005
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
This chapter presents the vaccines needed in the first year of life. Hepatitis B is a virus that is transmitted most commonly from one person to another by blood. The American Academy of Pediatrics ...
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This chapter presents the vaccines needed in the first year of life. Hepatitis B is a virus that is transmitted most commonly from one person to another by blood. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the CDC recommend three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine for all children, to be given at birth, at one to two months, and at six to eighteen months of age. The chapter also discusses vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP). Despite being used for many years, these vaccines are still necessary since diphtheria outbreaks continue to occur throughout the world; pertussis is still a common disease in the U.S.; and tetanus bacteria will always live in the soil, unaffected by immunization. Other vaccines discussed in this chapter include the pneumococcal vaccine, rotavirus vaccine, Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) vaccine, polio vaccine, and the influenza vaccine.Less
This chapter presents the vaccines needed in the first year of life. Hepatitis B is a virus that is transmitted most commonly from one person to another by blood. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the CDC recommend three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine for all children, to be given at birth, at one to two months, and at six to eighteen months of age. The chapter also discusses vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP). Despite being used for many years, these vaccines are still necessary since diphtheria outbreaks continue to occur throughout the world; pertussis is still a common disease in the U.S.; and tetanus bacteria will always live in the soil, unaffected by immunization. Other vaccines discussed in this chapter include the pneumococcal vaccine, rotavirus vaccine, Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) vaccine, polio vaccine, and the influenza vaccine.
Andrew F. Read and Margaret J. Mackinnon
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199207466
- eISBN:
- 9780191728167
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199207466.003.0011
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
Vaccines alter the immune landscape experienced by pathogens, and hence their evolution, by targeting subsets of strains in a population, reducing the number of fully susceptible individuals, and ...
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Vaccines alter the immune landscape experienced by pathogens, and hence their evolution, by targeting subsets of strains in a population, reducing the number of fully susceptible individuals, and creating or expanding classes of semi-immune hosts. The great success of vaccination against the acute childhood occurred without being undermined by pathogen evolution, but those diseases were easy targets: natural immunity was evolution-proof; all vaccination needed to do was to induce something very similar. Pathogens now under assault by vaccination are different: their natural infections induce leaky, often strain-specific immunity that usually wanes. Vaccines against these diseases will induce immunity to which natural selection has already found solutions. Evolutionary analysis is particularly warranted where vaccines are leaky, target subsets of strains or virulence determinants, involve novel technologies, or relax selection against virulence. Vaccination has been a great benefit. Continuing past successes requires evolutionary considerations at all stages of vaccine design and implementation.Less
Vaccines alter the immune landscape experienced by pathogens, and hence their evolution, by targeting subsets of strains in a population, reducing the number of fully susceptible individuals, and creating or expanding classes of semi-immune hosts. The great success of vaccination against the acute childhood occurred without being undermined by pathogen evolution, but those diseases were easy targets: natural immunity was evolution-proof; all vaccination needed to do was to induce something very similar. Pathogens now under assault by vaccination are different: their natural infections induce leaky, often strain-specific immunity that usually wanes. Vaccines against these diseases will induce immunity to which natural selection has already found solutions. Evolutionary analysis is particularly warranted where vaccines are leaky, target subsets of strains or virulence determinants, involve novel technologies, or relax selection against virulence. Vaccination has been a great benefit. Continuing past successes requires evolutionary considerations at all stages of vaccine design and implementation.
Scott D. Rhodes and Leland J. Yee
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195301533
- eISBN:
- 9780199863815
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195301533.003.0007
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
This chapter examines the epidemiology of hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C within the U.S. male population and within various samples of men-who-have-sex-with-men. Vaccine strategies for the ...
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This chapter examines the epidemiology of hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C within the U.S. male population and within various samples of men-who-have-sex-with-men. Vaccine strategies for the prevention of hepatitis A and B are discussed, including relevant information about vaccine uptake among MSM. The chapter concludes with a review of promising strategies for resolving disparities in hepatitis infection (especially HBV) among MSM. These include both clinic and community-based interventions.Less
This chapter examines the epidemiology of hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C within the U.S. male population and within various samples of men-who-have-sex-with-men. Vaccine strategies for the prevention of hepatitis A and B are discussed, including relevant information about vaccine uptake among MSM. The chapter concludes with a review of promising strategies for resolving disparities in hepatitis infection (especially HBV) among MSM. These include both clinic and community-based interventions.
Stephanie Zaza, Peter A. Briss, and Kate W. Harris
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195151091
- eISBN:
- 9780199864973
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195151091.003.0006
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
This chapter reports on the effectiveness of interventions to increase the use of both universally recommended and targeted vaccines. The first section summarizes Task Force conclusions and ...
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This chapter reports on the effectiveness of interventions to increase the use of both universally recommended and targeted vaccines. The first section summarizes Task Force conclusions and recommendations on interventions to increase delivery of universally recommended vaccines for children, adolescents, and adults. The next section summarizes Task Force conclusions and recommendations on interventions to increase delivery of targeted vaccines to adolescents and adults.Less
This chapter reports on the effectiveness of interventions to increase the use of both universally recommended and targeted vaccines. The first section summarizes Task Force conclusions and recommendations on interventions to increase delivery of universally recommended vaccines for children, adolescents, and adults. The next section summarizes Task Force conclusions and recommendations on interventions to increase delivery of targeted vaccines to adolescents and adults.
Margaret P. Battin, Leslie P. Francis, Jay A. Jacobson, and Charles B. Smith
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195335842
- eISBN:
- 9780199868926
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195335842.003.0010
- Subject:
- Philosophy, General
Research ethics has focused on protecting the autonomy of the individual research subject, insisting on informed consent and a reasonable risk/benefit ratio for a study to be ethical. At the same ...
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Research ethics has focused on protecting the autonomy of the individual research subject, insisting on informed consent and a reasonable risk/benefit ratio for a study to be ethical. At the same time, it has largely ignored the situation of the “indirect participant” in research: someone who might be adversely affected by another's participation in a research study. There are many historical examples of this failure: self-experimentation with infectious disease, the Tuskegee syphilis study, and the Willowbrook study of infectious hepatitis, among others. And there are many more contemporary examples, too, such as tests of the oral polio vaccine or of short-course anti-retroviral therapy for HIV+ pregnant women. This chapter argues that risks to indirect participants must be considered in assessing the risk/benefit ratio of study designs. Where there are identifiable indirect participants and risks to them are significant, their informed consent should also be required for participation of the direct subject in research. Where indirect participants cannot easily be identified, but risks may be substantial, the chapter suggest employing models drawn from community consent to conduct of research.Less
Research ethics has focused on protecting the autonomy of the individual research subject, insisting on informed consent and a reasonable risk/benefit ratio for a study to be ethical. At the same time, it has largely ignored the situation of the “indirect participant” in research: someone who might be adversely affected by another's participation in a research study. There are many historical examples of this failure: self-experimentation with infectious disease, the Tuskegee syphilis study, and the Willowbrook study of infectious hepatitis, among others. And there are many more contemporary examples, too, such as tests of the oral polio vaccine or of short-course anti-retroviral therapy for HIV+ pregnant women. This chapter argues that risks to indirect participants must be considered in assessing the risk/benefit ratio of study designs. Where there are identifiable indirect participants and risks to them are significant, their informed consent should also be required for participation of the direct subject in research. Where indirect participants cannot easily be identified, but risks may be substantial, the chapter suggest employing models drawn from community consent to conduct of research.
Margaret P. Battin, Leslie P. Francis, Jay A. Jacobson, and Charles B. Smith
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195335842
- eISBN:
- 9780199868926
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195335842.003.0014
- Subject:
- Philosophy, General
The human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine has the potential to significantly reduce the incidence of cervical cancer in women who receive the vaccine before they are sexually active and thus become at ...
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The human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine has the potential to significantly reduce the incidence of cervical cancer in women who receive the vaccine before they are sexually active and thus become at risk of becoming infected with HPV. This chapter explores the debate over mandating that girls aged 11-12 years receive the (HPV) vaccine as a requirement for school entry. The religious and principled objections posed to mandatory immunization practices are reviewed in general as well as the unique issues related to the fact that HPV is a sexually transmitted disease; also examined are the justice issues raised by the fact that the HPV vaccine is too expensive to be available to the large populations of women in developing countries, yet other methods of cervical cancer detection and prevention are not available. The PVV view suggests that, as with other immunizations, an opt-out option should be maintained, but only for the most strongly held religious or other personal beliefs. Any decision maker—a competent adult, the parent of an infant or an adolescent, an adolescent along with the parent, or a policy maker—must take into account the consequences for both victims and vectors of decisions that are made about disease that can be controlled by immunization.Less
The human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine has the potential to significantly reduce the incidence of cervical cancer in women who receive the vaccine before they are sexually active and thus become at risk of becoming infected with HPV. This chapter explores the debate over mandating that girls aged 11-12 years receive the (HPV) vaccine as a requirement for school entry. The religious and principled objections posed to mandatory immunization practices are reviewed in general as well as the unique issues related to the fact that HPV is a sexually transmitted disease; also examined are the justice issues raised by the fact that the HPV vaccine is too expensive to be available to the large populations of women in developing countries, yet other methods of cervical cancer detection and prevention are not available. The PVV view suggests that, as with other immunizations, an opt-out option should be maintained, but only for the most strongly held religious or other personal beliefs. Any decision maker—a competent adult, the parent of an infant or an adolescent, an adolescent along with the parent, or a policy maker—must take into account the consequences for both victims and vectors of decisions that are made about disease that can be controlled by immunization.
Margaret P. Battin, Leslie P. Francis, Jay A. Jacobson, and Charles B. Smith
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195335842
- eISBN:
- 9780199868926
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195335842.003.0019
- Subject:
- Philosophy, General
In pandemic planning, much attention has been paid to justice in the distribution of scarce health care resources: vaccines, anti-virals, and access to advanced modes of treatment such as ventilator ...
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In pandemic planning, much attention has been paid to justice in the distribution of scarce health care resources: vaccines, anti-virals, and access to advanced modes of treatment such as ventilator support. This chapter examines critically the extent to which some proposals fail to take existing injustice into account. It considers the justice of pandemic planning, arguing that in order to be just, pandemic planning requires attention to basic health care infrastructure for everyone. Without, for example, access to basic primary care, people will be less likely to present for treatment and pandemic disease may not be identified at a time when spread is more readily preventable.Less
In pandemic planning, much attention has been paid to justice in the distribution of scarce health care resources: vaccines, anti-virals, and access to advanced modes of treatment such as ventilator support. This chapter examines critically the extent to which some proposals fail to take existing injustice into account. It considers the justice of pandemic planning, arguing that in order to be just, pandemic planning requires attention to basic health care infrastructure for everyone. Without, for example, access to basic primary care, people will be less likely to present for treatment and pandemic disease may not be identified at a time when spread is more readily preventable.
