China Revives Covid-Era Health Measures to Prevent Mosquito-Borne Virus
Recording the identities of people buying commonly used medicines, reinstating mass testing, requiring travel history reports and undertaking community-level disinfection are among measures put in place to check chikungunya, after a city in the industrial hub reported a rare but massive outbreak of the virus this summer.
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New York Post
20 minutes ago
- New York Post
Are mRNA vaccines safe and effective? What to know as RFK Jr. halts funding
Vaccines using mRNA technology weren't immune to the latest round of federal research cuts. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said this week that he's pulling the plug on nearly $500 million in funding for the development of mRNA vaccines. The 22 projects are managed by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). 'The data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu,' Kennedy, a longtime vaccine critic, said in a statement. 'We're shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.' 4 Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said this week that he's pulling the plug on nearly $500 million in funding for the development of mRNA vaccines. AP Several studies have demonstrated that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were over 90% effective at preventing severe illness and death. Vaccine researchers immediately took issue with the fiscal gutting, calling it a major setback for science. 'I don't think I've seen a more dangerous decision in public health in my 50 years in the business,' said Mike Osterholm, a University of Minnesota expert on infectious diseases and pandemic preparations. Here's a closer look at how mRNA vaccines work. What is mRNA? All living cells have ribonucleic acid, an essential biological molecule known as RNA. RNA's primary role in the body is to make proteins, which are needed for virtually every cellular process, from building and repairing tissues to defending the body from bacteria and viruses and transporting nutrients and oxygen. 4 The COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer and Biontec is administered during a clinical trial. EPA/Biontech SE/Handout Proteins are synthesized using three main types of RNA — messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA) and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). MRNA's job is to carry information for protein making from DNA to the cell's ribosomes, where it's translated into proteins. How do mRNA vaccines work? MRNA can be created in a laboratory and injected into the body to instruct cells to make a protein associated with a specific virus. The body recognizes the protein as foreign and produces antibodies to combat it. When the actual virus or pathogen invades the body, the immune system is ready to neutralize it, preventing or reducing the severity of illness. Though mRNA was discovered in the early 1960s, the first mRNA vaccine wasn't approved for human use until 2020. 4 German firm BioNTech, Pfizer's partner on its Covid vaccine, is developing mRNA-based vaccines for cancers at a rapid pace. Photothek via Getty Images The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in December 2020 and later granted full approval. The vaccine uses mRNA to tell cells to make a harmless piece of the coronavirus's spike protein. Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine was also granted full approval by the FDA. MRNA vaccines are being explored for the treatment of cancer, food allergies and infectious diseases. Researchers say that mRNA vaccines can be developed faster than traditional vaccines because they do not require the time-consuming process of growing live virus cultures in a lab. 'The theoretical advantage of mRNA-based vaccines lies in their rapid adaptability,' Grant Hansman, senior research fellow at the Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics at Griffith University in Australia, wrote this week in The Conversation. 'They will potentially allow annual updates to match circulating strains.' 4 University College London Hospital (UCLH) in London is testing novel cancer immunotherapy that aims to prevent skin cancer from recurring. The mRNA-based technology is for people who have already had high-risk melanomas removed. PA Images via Getty Images The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that mRNA vaccines do not contain any live viruses or pathogens and do not alter a person's DNA. The mRNA molecule eventually breaks down in the body. The Cleveland Clinic reports that the risks of mRNA vaccines include pain or swelling at the injection site, fever, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches and allergic reactions. In his statement, Kennedy said that mRNA vaccines will be phased out in favor of whole killed virus vaccines, a traditional approach that uses entire pathogens that have been inactivated through heat, radiation or chemicals. Though it's a tried-and-true method of immunization, critics have raised concerns that these vaccines produce a weaker immune response than mRNA vaccines and pose manufacturing and logistical challenges. With Post wires
21 minutes ago
RFK Jr. cancels $550 million in funding for MRNA vaccine development
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the Department of Health and Human Services will cancel $500 million in funding for MRNA vaccines for viruses like COVID-19 and the flu. August 6, 2025
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
China fights mosquito-borne chikungunya virus with drones, fines and nets as thousands fall ill
Chinese authorities are using nets, spraying insecticide and even deploying drones to fight the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus, which has infected thousands of people. Authorities had reported more than 7,000 cases of the virus as of Wednesday, mostly in the southern Chinese manufacturing hub of Foshan, some 170 kilometers (105 miles) from Hong Kong. The number of new cases appears to be dropping slowly, according to authorities. It appears to be the largest chikungunya outbreak ever documented in China, according to Cesar Lopez-Camacho of the University of Oxford. The virus is transmitted by infected mosquitoes and can cause fever and joint pain. 'What makes this event notable is that chikungunya has never been established in mainland China before,' Lopez-Camacho said in a statement. 'This suggests that most of the population had no preexisting immunity, making it easier for the virus to spread quickly.' Chinese state television has shown workers spraying insecticide around city streets, residential areas, construction sites and other areas where people may come into contact with mosquitoes. Workers sprayed some places before entering office buildings. Unusually heavy rains and high temperatures have worsened the crisis in China, and authorities are using drones to try to find standing water, where mosquitoes lay eggs. Authorities also have threatened to fine people who don't empty water from outdoor receptacles. Residents can be subject to fines of up to 10,000 yuan ($1,400) and have their electricity cut off. Because of the virus, the US has issued a travel advisory suggesting that Americans take extra precautions when visiting China's Guangdong province, where Foshan is located, as well as Bolivia and some island nations in the Indian Ocean. Since the 2003 SARS outbreak, China has used strict measures to fight the spread of viruses, including hard-line tactics during the COVID-19 pandemic. This time, patients are being forced to stay in hospital in Foshan for at least one week and authorities briefly enforced a two-week home quarantine, which was dropped because the disease cannot be transmitted between people. Reports also have emerged of attempts to stop the spread of chikungunya with fish that eat mosquito larvae and even larger mosquitoes to eat the insects carrying the virus. Officials have held meetings and adopted protocols at the national level in a sign of China's determination to eliminate the outbreak and avoid public and international criticism.
