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Global vaccine group Gavi secures $9 billion after funding summit

Global vaccine group Gavi secures $9 billion after funding summit

Yahoo10 hours ago

LONDON (Reuters) -Global vaccine group Gavi has secured $9 billion for its work over the next five years helping to immunize the world's poorest children, its board chair, Jose Manuel Barroso, said on Wednesday.
The group announced the total at the end of a fundraising summit in Brussels. It includes new pledges from donors like the United Kingdom and the Gates Foundation, as well as money left after COVID-19.
It did not include a pledge from the United States. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr said that the United States would no longer fund Gavi and accused it of ignoring vaccine safety, without citing any evidence. In response, Gavi said safety was its primary concern.

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In stressful times, our anxiety can rub off on pets. Causes and cures for pet anxiety
In stressful times, our anxiety can rub off on pets. Causes and cures for pet anxiety

Associated Press

time3 hours ago

  • Associated Press

In stressful times, our anxiety can rub off on pets. Causes and cures for pet anxiety

In this age of heightened anxiety, many of us turn to our pets for emotional support. But is our behavior increasing our furry friends' fears? The answer isn't simple, says Frankie Jackson, a veterinary nurse and animal behavior consultant, and the owner of Canine Counseling in Smyrna, Georgia. She said she's seen an increase in anxiety among her animal and human clients, but that it's hard to unwind the cause and effect. 'Dogs are incredibly responsive to our expressions, our body language and our scent,' she says. 'There is a feedback loop — the owners are nervous; the dog gets nervous. Our cortisol levels rise and fall in tandem.' Dr. Becky Peters, a veterinarian and owner of Bath Veterinary Hospital in Bath, New York, has also noticed a link between the anxiety of pets and their owners, particularly in the exam room. 'If owners try to over comfort them — lots of 'you're OK!'' in anxious voices, the animals do get more anxious. If we stay calm and quiet, they do too,' Peters says. Peters attributes much of the rise in pet anxiety to the social upheaval of the COVID years. Many animals who were acquired during the pandemic had limited opportunities to socialize with other people and pets during their peak developmental stages. After COVID, pets who were used to having their family at home experienced separation anxiety as their owners returned to work and school. 'A lot of pet anxiety comes from changes to their households,' Peters says. 'It can also occur from a lack of routine and structure and not enough physical activity.' Other components that could contribute to our pets' anxiety include unmet needs, past trauma and insufficient open spaces. 'We are asking our dogs to live in a world that isn't made for them,' she says. Try to get at the cause of your pet's anxiety Low-level stress responses in dogs, such as eating less and excessive self-grooming, are forms of communication that precede lunging and barking, Jackson says. Trying to solve reactive behaviors through obedience training without addressing the root cause can make dogs' anxiety worse. 'It's important to understand what the dogs are saying and why they're behaving the way they are. Manners and life skills are important, but it won't create happy dogs,' Jackson says. Anxiety in cats can be harder to spot, according to Jackson, because they're hard-wired to hide it. While dogs seek out their support people, cats don't feel safe expressing their vulnerability. Urinating in the house, scratching, hiding under the bed and overgrooming can be signs that your kitty is anxious. First, see a vet If your animal companion is suddenly acting out or on a licking binge, Jackson advises seeing a veterinarian to rule out a medical cause, such as pain or allergies. Veterinarians can also prescribe anti-anxiety medication and complementary treatments to promote sleep and relaxation. 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'It's just important to understand your dog, so you're set up for success.'

How PR Companies in India Are Transforming Health Care Communication
How PR Companies in India Are Transforming Health Care Communication

Time Business News

time3 hours ago

  • Time Business News

How PR Companies in India Are Transforming Health Care Communication

In today's fast-moving and highly competitive market environment, Indian PR agencies are powerful players in fueling brand visibility, reputation, and credibility. With the advent of digital platforms and the complexification of human behavior, businesses increasingly turn to expert public relations agencies to ensure that their narratives are not just being heard but remembered. Whether your organization is a start-up looking for media coverage, a heritage brand looking to change its image, or a health care facility handling sensitive stories, the Indian PR community offers an impressive array of capabilities and imagination. India's economic diversification and development of industries like IT, e-commerce, pharma, and wellness have generated demand for advanced communication solutions. This has catalyzed the emergence of boutique as well as full-service PR companies in India that offer top-level services like media relations, crisis communication, brand creation, corporate social responsibility publicity, and online PR. Indian PR firms today are not just operating locally but are now cooperating with global brands that are coming onto the continent. Their cultural sensitivity, local media, and multilingual storytelling give them an edge in the global PR market. Among the top cities of this PR revolution are Bangalore—India's Silicon Valley. The growth in the number of PR companies in Bangalore is an indicator of the city's growing business world. From health technology and technology startups to real estate giants, Bangalore companies are spending increasing amounts of money on structured PR tactics to be heard in the cacophonous digital and offline media spaces. These agencies combine technologically powered intelligence and human storytelling to help brands communicate with both national and specialty audiences. No industry is as vulnerable and open to criticism as health care is, and in that regard, public relations is priceless. Public Relations in Health Care is not optional—it is a must. Hospital and pharmaceutical firms, medical device manufacturers, and health tech startup companies can rely on PR to become credible and reliable participants in the highly scrutinized health care industry. Good health care PR is all about educating the public, simplifying complicated medical information, handling crises (like COVID-19), and aligning communications with moral values. Indian health care PR agencies are helping brands humanize but scientifically accurately make their messages—shortening the gap between innovation and the final consumer. Among agencies that are making a large impact in this space is MediagraphicsPR. Based in India, the agency has a reputation for tailored communications solutions across sectors like technology, health care, SaaS, and consumer stands out in its fact-based storytelling, strong media relationships, and multi-platform brand building strategies. The company has worked with new and established brands alike, offering each client a communication framework that is tailored to its individual goals and audience. The Public Relations in Health Care work of the company has been noteworthy. Right from launching new health platforms to being sensitive to patient stories, MediagraphicsPR demonstrates what thoughtful PR can have an impact on not just business growth but public health. The evolution of PR companies in India has paralleled the evolution of Indian business—from product-led to purpose-led. As sectors like health care, technology, and education keep evolving, the contribution of PR is more important than ever before. Whether you are a Bangalore startup company, a health care business seeking to build trust, or a pan-India business seeking media outreach, strategic public relations—through the direction of agencies like MediagraphicsPR—can bridge the gap between what your firm offers and what your public is concerned with. TIME BUSINESS NEWS

Inside the unusual, RFK-appointed panel that's deciding on childhood vaccines
Inside the unusual, RFK-appointed panel that's deciding on childhood vaccines

USA Today

time7 hours ago

  • USA Today

Inside the unusual, RFK-appointed panel that's deciding on childhood vaccines

The world just got its first look at the inner workings of the new vaccine panel appointed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and their immediate focus: childhood vaccines. The eight new members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met for the first time on June 25, where ACIP Chair Martin Kulldorf announced at the top of the meeting how the panel plans to reexamine the childhood immunization schedule. "The number of vaccines that our children and adolescents receive today exceeds what children in most other developed nations receive and what most of us in this room received when we were children," he said. "In addition to studying and evaluating individual vaccines, it's important to evaluate the cumulative effect of the recommended vaccine schedule." Kulldorff added the committee will also establish workgroups to investigate vaccines that protect against measles, mumps and rubella and hepatitis B. Kennedy fired all 17 original members of the committee on June 9 and appointed its new members, which included some vaccine skeptics, a few days later. Their recommendations will have wide-ranging implications, guiding vaccine requirements for schools and impacting a government program offering free vaccinations for about half of America's kids. Many experts are concerned the panel's actions will sow doubt in vaccines that have been deemed safe and effective. More: Trump US CDC nominee backs vaccines as life-saving 'To raise doubt about our traditional pediatric vaccines that have saved millions of lives, particularly during one of the worst measles outbreaks we have had in years, is irresponsible and will cost lives,' said Dr. Gretchen LaSalle, a family physician in Spokane, Washington, who represents the American Academy of Family Physicians for an ACIP workgroup. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel also reviewed data about COVID-19 vaccines, immediately questioning their safety and effectiveness. They also raised questions about the study design, methodologies and surveillance monitoring systems behind the data, which Dr. Pamela Rockwell, clinical professor of family medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, addressed as standard of medical research. "Our efforts, through a very robust system of checks and balances, are to create vaccines and vaccination programs that result in the most benefit with the least harm," said LaSalle, from AAFP. The committee didn't vote on COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for the fall and isn't expected to reconvene until 'September/October,' according to the CDC website. 'Stakes are simply too high': Criticisms and controversies Public comment during the meeting was a mix of voices raising criticisms and concerns about potential harm, from different perspectives. Nurses, pediatricians, public health experts and mothers flooded the public comment portion of the meeting to criticize Kennedy's decision to fire the 17 original ACIP members and advocate the protective benefits of vaccines. 'The Big Cities Health Coalition is deeply concerned that many routine vaccines may soon become inaccessible or unaffordable for millions of Americans if ACIP makes changes based on ideology rather than science,' Chrissie Juliano, executive director of the Big Cities Health Coalition, said during the public comment section. 'The stakes are simply too high to let that happen.' Others criticized vaccine mandates and medical exemption restrictions. 'With many new members in place, the ACIP must now act to prevent continued harm,' said Kim Mack Rosenberg, general counsel for Children's Health Defense, the anti-vaccine group founded by Kennedy. The planned vote on a new shot for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, was postponed due to time constraints. The ACIP meeting was held despite a national outcry from health experts, officials and organizations calling for a delay. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and physician, urged officials to wait until the panel is 'fully staffed with more robust and balanced representation – as required by law – including those with more direct relevant experience.' 'Although the appointees to ACIP have scientific credentials, many do not have significant experience studying microbiology, epidemiology or immunology,' Cassidy, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, said in a social media post. 'In particular, some lack experience studying new technologies such as mRNA vaccines, and may even have a preconceived bias against them.' Contributing: Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY. Adrianna Rodriguez can be reached at adrodriguez@

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