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"Seqirus Media Monitoring" 16th May 2018

Seqirus mentions
90TEN’s life changing PR and medical education campaigns shortlisted for five Communique Awards
90TEN has so far been shortlisted in five categories at the upcoming Communique Awards, to be held on 28th June 2018. The agency’s Breaking the Flu Cycle campaign for Seqirus has been shortlisted for The Say Communications Award for Excellence in Integrated Product/Brand Communications, which has been submitted in partnership with agencies: Baird’s CMC, OmniaMed and Cogora.
Industry News
Altimmune Announces First Quarter 2018 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update
Altimmune announced financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2018. In the past year, it announced positive proof-of-concept data from its Phase 2a intranasal flu vaccine trial with NasoVAX vaccine when compared with a licensed injectable seasonal flu vaccine. CEO William J. Enright said: “The positive results from our NasoVAX trial give us strong confidence that we have a truly novel approach to combat flu and we look forward to getting Phase 2b clinical trials started next year. NasoVAX has tremendous potential as an effective, easy-to-administer flu vaccine that could provide better protection than current vaccines.”
Why we must work together to prevent Disease X
Dr Richard Hatchett, chief executive of CEPI, writes that "Given the UK’s strong pharmaceutical sector, world-renowned research institutions and depth of scientific and infectious disease expertise, it can and should play a leading role in addressing the threat of Disease X and the other diseases on the Blueprint list, both directly and through its support of international institutions. SARS, avian influenza, Ebola, Zika, plague, cholera, Yellow Fever, Lassa. The list is familiar but all were once Disease X. What is happening in the DRC at the moment reminds us that epidemics are a present danger that requires focus, commitment, and investment."
Vaxart Announces First Quarter 2018 Financial Results and Corporate Update
Vaxart, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing oral recombinant vaccines that are administered by tablet rather than by injection, announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2018. On April 20, 2018, Vaxart announced it received notification from Daiichi Sankyo that sales of Inavir, a single dose product licensed in Japan to prevent or treat influenza infection, exceeded 20 billion Yen in the royalty year ending March 31, 2018, triggering a $5 million milestone payment to Vaxart that will be paid in the second quarter of 2018.
Emergex Awarded Innovate UK Grant to Progress its Universal and Pandemic Flu Vaccine
Emergex, a biotech pioneering a new approach to vaccine development in the field of infectious diseases, announced that Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, has awarded the company a grant of £979,318 to progress its universal flu vaccine programme through preclinical development.
Pandemic Influenza News
Johns Hopkins Report: The Characteristics of Pandemic Pathogens
The next pathogen to cause a deadly global pandemic will most likely be a respiratory disease, spread by a virus that is contagious during incubation or when symptoms are only mild, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins' Center for Health Security. To guard against the threat, more needs to be done to improve the surveillance of respiratory-borne RNA viruses. Vaccines against RNA respiratory viruses - including a universal influenza vaccine - should be pursued with increased priority.
Academic studies
A high-fiber diet protects mice against the flu virus
Dietary fiber increases survival in influenza-infected mice by setting the immune system at a healthy level of responsiveness, according to a preclinical study published May 15th in the journal Immunity. A high-fiber diet blunts harmful, excessive immune responses in the lungs while boosting antiviral immunity by activating T cells. These dual benefits were mediated by changes in the composition of gut bacteria, leading to an increase in the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) through the microbial fermentation of dietary fiber.
Learning the sequence of influenza A genome assembly during viral replication using point process models and fluorescence in situ hybridization
Within influenza virus infected cells, viral genomic RNA are selectively packed into progeny virions, which predominantly contain a single copy of 8 viral RNA segments. Intersegmental RNA-RNA interactions are thought to mediate selective packaging of each viral ribonucleoprotein complex (vRNP). Clear evidence of a specific interaction network culminating in the full genomic set has yet to be identified. Using multi-color fluorescence in situ hybridization to visualize four vRNP segments within a single cell, we developed image-based models of vRNP-vRNP spatial dependence. These models were used to construct likely sequences of vRNP associations resulting in the full genomic set. Study results support the notion that selective packaging occurs during cytoplasmic transport and identifies the formation of multiple distinct vRNP sub-complexes that likely form as intermediate steps toward full genomic inclusion into a progeny virion.
Pediatric influenza news
Poll shows parents' flu view has changed
Australia's nightmare 2017 flu season has encouraged more parents to get their children vaccinated, a national poll shows. Twice as many parents of children under five years intend to vaccinate their child for the 2018 flu season compared with 12 months ago, according to the Royal Children's Hospital poll, released on Wednesday in Melbourne. Parents are also more aware of the severity of the virus, with eight in 10 now recognising the flu as a serious disease, compared with 32 per cent last year.
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust successful in bid for School Aged Influenza Immunisation Service for Leeds
In England, the School Aged Influenza Immunisation Service contract for Leeds has been awarded to Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, the first of the Trust’s children’s services contracts in the city. The contract, which is for a year from 1 April 2018 with the option of a second year, will see the Trust offer an immunisation service to school-children in Leeds. It has been awarded by NHS England.
Influenza vaccination coverage among US children from 2004/2005 to 2015/2016
In the U.S., data from National Health Interview Survey were used to estimate receipt of at least one dose of influenza vaccination among children 6 months to 17 years of age. Influenza vaccination coverage increased from 16.70% during 2004/2005 to 49.43% during 2015/2016; however, the coverage increased slightly after 2010/2011. Children at high risk of influenza complications had higher influenza vaccination coverage than non at-risk children. Although the influenza vaccination coverage among children had increased remarkably since 2004/2005, establishing more effective immunization programs are warranted to achieve the Healthy People 2020 target.
Over 65’s influenza news

No News Recorded

General Influenza News
Flu: Price for flu vaccine for the 2018/19 season has been agreed by Rhineland-Palatinate authorities
AOK has agreed a price with the Pharmacists Association for vaccines for the coming flu season In the Rhineland-Palatinate. This news was reported by the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians Rhineland-Palatinate (KV RLP) providers.
Worried mothers with children in their arms actively seeking immunization to save their kids from H1N1
Hundreds of mothers, some with their children in their arms, were seen queuing at health centers across the capital, as the Health Secretariat (Sesal) launched its H1N1 flu vaccination campaign in the departments of Francisco Morazan, Yoro, Cortes and Atlantida, targeting in particular, high risk groups for whom flu shots are necessary to reduce risk.
Schools will be closed if necessary because of fears of the spread of the H1N1 virus, Minister Solis confirms
Health Secretary Marcial Soli¬s said that if it is necessary to close schools due to the outbreak of H1N1 influenza, it is a measure that must be taken to save the lives of thousands of students. On the advice of the Medical College of Honduras (CMH), closing schools for two weeks to prevent cases of H1N1 influenza spreading is certainly an option on the table for consideration, both the Secretaries of Education and Health agree they must work together on this.
34% of those in the highest at-risk health groups have received the H1N1 vaccine
The Secretary of State for Health (Sesapi) said that 238,560 people have already received a flu shot against the H1N1 virus, which means that 34.61% of those in all the high-risk groups have been immunized. Other statistics published in this health bulletin detail how many people received a flu shot during last weekend's D-Day campaign, held last Saturday (12th) across all Piaui municipalities.
Warning this fake health report is circulating on social media - That a local hospital director posted a message saying how you could avoid catching the flu
The Secretary of State for Health (Sesapi) said that 238,560 people have already received a flu shot against the H1N1 virus, which means that 34.61% of those in all the high-risk groups have been immunized. Other statistics published in this health bulletin detail how many people received a flu shot during last weekend's D-Day campaign, held last Saturday (12th) across all Piaui municipalities.
Honduran Health Authorities Begin Flu Vaccination Campaign
Honduran health authorities launched a vaccination campaign against the flu, which has caused at least 10 deaths and infected more than 100 people so far this year, officials said. Health Minister Octavio Sanchez told reporters that the aim of the campaign is to minimize the impact of the disease via preventive measures. In addition, the campaign seeks to keep the number of flu patients as low as possible along with the seriousness of their complications if they do become infected, the minister said before receiving his own flu shot at a Tegucigalpa health center.
More than 300 medical centers will be part of the campaign to vaccinate the population against influenza
The head of the Bolivian Epidemiological Surveillance of the Departmental Health Service (SEDES), Ruben Castillo, said that 278,000 flu vaccine doses that protect against influenza AH1N1, H3N2 and type B will be made available during this week in more than 300 health facilities across the 47 municipalities in the country.
Senators urge Trump to back universal flu vaccine bill
A group of U.S. senators are calling on President Donald Trump to back legislation that would invest in research to help create a universal flu vaccine. Earlier this year, a bill, the Flu Vaccine Act (S.2438), introduced in the Senate sought to authorize additional resources over the next five years for research to help develop a universal influenza vaccine. In a letter to Trump, the senators highlighted their efforts to secure $100 million in funding for research related to a universal flu vaccine in the fiscal year 2018 appropriations bill that was signed into law in March.
Flu 2018: The difference between a cold and the flu
In Australia, this year, the flu season is unlikely to be as severe as 2017 which saw nearly 1100 deaths from influenza. However, the Australian Government is still urging people aged from six months old to get the flu vaccination. The European Centre for Disease and Prevention and Control says having the vaccination reduces the risk of getting the virus by 60 per cent.
Dubai's Haj and Umrah pilgrims can now get vaccinated while they shop
Since travellers plan Umrah pilgrimages during Ramadan, the UAE Health Ministry is spreading the word about prevention. The meningococcal vaccine to guard against meningitis is mandatory and the vaccine to prevent influenza is recommended to reduce the risk of flu.
Could an inhaler cure colds? Scientists create a drug that prevents the virus replicating
Research released last March suggested scientists are developing a ‘revolutionary’ flu vaccine that can be taken as a pill. As well as likely being preferred by those with a fear of needles, the drug will not require refrigeration, which will make it easier to transport and more suitable for developing countries with warm climates, according to researchers from the University of Cardiff. Speaking of the findings, Divya Shah, from Wellcome’s infection and immunobiology team, who was not involved in the trial, said: ‘This is a very exciting first proof-of-concept study that could provide a potential route to make vaccines that are thermostable and be administered orally.’
Burden of disease
Bolivia: flu epidemic alert
In Bolivia, a flu epidemic (influenza A) has been spreading through the east of the country. Prevention campaigns and quarantine spaces in hospitals have been organised, but there has been a lack of vaccines. The vaccines arrived weeks too late and the vaccination campaign has now begun with 1.8 million doses.
Businessman dies of suspected H1N1 in hospital isolation wing of PS in Varzea Grande
32 year-old businessman, Wagner Api, died of suspected H1N1 on Monday (14th), in the isolation wing of the Varzea Grande Emergency Room (PSVG), in the metropolitan region of Cuiaba, after spending 20 days in hospital suffering from pneumonia.
Mother of the mayor of Urania dies because of H1N1 flu
The local Health Department confirmed the death from influenza H1N1 of the mother of the mayor of Urania (SP), Marcio Arjol. Mirtes Arjol Domingues, 55, died late Monday afternoon in Jales where she had been hospitalized. The Municipal Health Department reported that the victim had additional complications which included hypertension and severe acute respiratory syndrome.
FMS confirms two H1N1 deaths and a tally of 46 cases in Teresina so far this year
The Municipal Health Foundation (FMS) confirmed a second death caused by H1N1 influenza in Teresina. The new case was announced in a FMS report released on Tuesday (15th) saying that it was a woman who died in a private hospital in early May. FMS data states that there has been 46 confirmed cases of H1N1 in Teresina in 2018. Since January, authorities have detected 28 cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (cases requiring hospitalization and compulsory notification) and 18 cases of flu have been confirmed (cases without complications) but positive for H1N1.
Number of deaths from H1N1 rises to 39, with new cases registered in Goiania, Aragoiania and Rio Verde
The number of H1N1 flu virus deaths rose to 39 in Goias, according to data released by the State Department of Health on Tuesday (15th). The new cases registered were in Goiania, Aragoiania and Rio Verde. The agency reported that the state is recording the highest numbers of deaths from the disease throughout the whole of Brazil
Flu's Seasonal Curve Swelled In 2017-18
No one questions that the 2017-2018 flu season was tough, but how unusual was it really? As cases gradually tapered of between late February and early April, the state-level data from the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene tell the story of a flu season that followed a familiar trajectory, but did so with a vaster scope. The big difference in 2017-18 was that the peak was higher and lasted a bit longer, and the ensuing drop-off in cases wasn't quite so sheer. State officials even feared that influenza B cases would produce a second peak.
Health Department confirms first death due to H3N2 flu in southern Minas Gerais
The regional State Department of Health has confirmed the first case of H3N2 flu death in the Southern part of Minas Gerais in 2018. The case was diagnosed as being a subtype of the Influenza A virus with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, and the victim was a resident of Paraguacu.
News Scan for May 15, 2018
In its latest global flu update, the World Health Organization noted some rising flu activity throughout the Southern Hemisphere, including tropical regions in the Americas. But around the world, flu remains within typical seasonal thresholds. Flu dropped to inter-seasonal levels for all of the Northern Hemisphere, except for some countries in Eastern Europe and the western parts of the Russian federation. In the United States, Canada, and Mexico, flu was at inter-seasonal levels, with cases divided equally among influenza A and B strains. Influenza also decreased throughout all parts of Asia.
Flu Surveillance in Animals
Avian flu found at Northeast Texas chicken farm
Texas and federal agriculture authorities are testing birds and poultry in a northeast Texas county after inspectors detected a low-pathogenic form of avian flu at a poultry farm. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the H7N1 influenza was found last week during routine surveillance of a commercial breeder’s flock of about 24,000 chickens in Hopkins County.

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