Latest news with #KateO'Brien
Hans India
3 days ago
- Health
- Hans India
WHO calls for maternal vaccine, monoclonal antibody to protect babies against RSV
New Delhi: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday recommended all countries to use both maternal vaccine and a monoclonal antibody to protect babies against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) -– the leading cause of acute lower respiratory infections in children globally. While the maternal vaccine -- RSVpreF -- can be given to pregnant women in their third trimester to protect their infant, the long-acting monoclonal antibody -- nirsevimab -- can be administered to infants from birth, just before or during the RSV season, stated the recommendations, published in the Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER). 'Every year, RSV causes about 100,000 deaths and over 3.6 million hospitalisations in children under the age of 5 years worldwide. About half of these deaths occur in infants younger than 6 months of age,' the WHO said. "The vast majority (97 per cent) of RSV deaths in infants occur in low- and middle-income countries where there is limited access to supportive medical care, such as oxygen or hydration," it added. Although RSV causes mild symptoms similar to the common cold, including runny nose, cough, and fever, it can lead to serious complications. This can include pneumonia and bronchiolitis -– in infants, young children, older adults, and those with compromised immune systems or underlying health conditions. Both RSVpreF and nirsevimab were recommended by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE) for global implementation in September 2024. In addition, the maternal vaccine received WHO prequalification in March 2025, allowing it to be purchased by UN agencies. While the vaccine can be given during routine antenatal care, nirsevimab is given as a single injection of monoclonal antibodies that starts protecting babies against RSV within a week of administration. It lasts for at least 5 months and can cover the entire RSV season in countries with RSV seasonality. The global health body recommends that infants receive a single dose of nirsevimab right after birth or before being discharged from a birthing facility. If not administered at birth, the monoclonal antibody can be given during the baby's first health visit. If a country decides to administer the product only during the RSV season rather than year-round, a single dose can also be given to older infants just before entering their first RSV season, the WHO said. The greatest impact on severe RSV disease will be achieved by administering the monoclonal antibody to infants under 6 months of age. However, there is still a potential benefit among infants up to 12 months of age, it added. 'RSV is an incredibly infectious virus that infects people of all ages, but is especially harmful to infants, particularly those born premature when they are most vulnerable to severe disease,' said Dr Kate O'Brien, Director of Immunisation, Vaccines, and Biologicals at WHO. 'The WHO-recommended RSV immunisation products can transform the fight against severe RSV disease, dramatically reduce hospitalisations, and deaths, ultimately saving many infants lives globally,' O'Brien added.
The Hindu
02-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
WHO defends vaccine safety test standards
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday, May 1, 2025, said that "extremely high" safety standards are already applied in the development of vaccines, after reports about plans by the United States for a change to testing. "We are confident in the assessments that go on around vaccines," WHO vaccine chief Kate O'Brien told journalists in Geneva. "The safety of vaccines is held to an extremely high standard." Ms. O'Brien was asked about a Washington Post report Thursday indicating that U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. aims to shift the way vaccines are tested, requiring all new vaccines to undergo placebo testing. The reported aim would be to increase safety and transparency but medical experts warn such a move could potentially limit access to vaccines and also undermine vaccine confidence. Ms. O'Brien stressed that the "gold standard" process for vaccine development already calls for placebo testing when developing completely new vaccines against diseases for which no immunisation options exist. But she warned that existing vaccines that are altered to cover new strains for instance, could also be considered new vaccines. In such cases, it could be unethical to give test subjects a placebo -- an inert product that does not prevent disease -- instead of "vaccines that are life-saving that are already licensed", she said. "I think the important part of this is that the quality of clinical trials and safety assessments of those clinical trials are at the heart of what all vaccine development is about," O'Brien said. "It's very important that we not constrain the ability and opportunity to develop better vaccines... The goal is to continue to develop improved vaccines." Combatting misinformation and upholding public trust The WHO warned last week that outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, meningitis, and yellow fever are on the rise globally amid misinformation and cuts to international aid. Mr. Kennedy, a vaccine sceptic who has long promoted disproven theories linking childhood vaccines to autism, has also in recent days reportedly made false claims that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine contains "aborted fetus debris". "Some of these statements around what is used to produce measles and rubella vaccine, they're not accurate statements," Ms. O'Brien said. She urged people with power and influence to help boost confidence in the safety, efficacy and importance of vaccines, which have saved more than 150 million lives in the past five decades, according to the WHO. "It really is the trust of communities, of people in communities, that forms the impact of vaccines," she said.
The Sun
02-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
WHO defends vaccine safety test standards
GENEVA: The World Health Organization on Thursday said that 'extremely high' safety standards are already applied in the development of vaccines, after reports about US plans for a change to testing. 'We are confident in the assessments that go on around vaccines,' WHO vaccine chief Kate O'Brien told journalists in Geneva. 'The safety of vaccines is held to an extremely high standard.' O'Brien was asked about a Washington Post report Thursday indicating that US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. aims to shift the way vaccines are tested, requiring all new vaccines to undergo placebo testing. The reported aim would be to increase safety and transparency but medical experts warn such a move could potentially limit access to vaccines and also undermine vaccine confidence. O'Brien stressed that the 'gold standard' process for vaccine development already calls for placebo testing when developing completely new vaccines against diseases for which no immunisation options exist. But she warned that existing vaccines that are altered to cover new strains for instance could also be considered new vaccines. In such cases, it could be unethical to give test subjects a placebo -- an inert product that does not prevent disease -- instead of 'vaccines that are life-saving that are already licensed', she said. 'I think the important part of this is that the quality of clinical trials and safety assessments of those clinical trials are at the heart of what all vaccine development is about,' O'Brien said. 'It's very important that we not constrain the ability and opportunity to develop better vaccines... The goal is to continue to develop improved vaccines.' The WHO warned last week that outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, meningitis, and yellow fever are on the rise globally amid misinformation and cuts to international aid. Kennedy, a vaccine sceptic who has long promoted disproven theories linking childhood vaccines to autism, has also in recent days reportedly made false claims that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine contains 'aborted fetus debris'. 'Some of these statements around what is used to produce measles and rubella vaccine, they're not accurate statements,' O'Brien said. She urged people with power and influence to help boost confidence in the safety, efficacy and importance of vaccines, which have saved more than 150 million lives in the past five decades, according to the WHO. 'It really is the trust of communities, of people in communities, that forms the impact of vaccines,' she said.
Express Tribune
02-05-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
WHO defends vaccine safety test standards
The World Health Organization on Thursday said that "extremely high" safety standards are already applied in the development of vaccines, after reports about US plans for a change to testing. "We are confident in the assessments that go on around vaccines," WHO vaccine chief Kate O'Brien told journalists in Geneva. "The safety of vaccines is held to an extremely high standard." O'Brien was asked about a Washington Post report Thursday indicating that US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. aims to shift the way vaccines are tested, requiring all new vaccines to undergo placebo testing. The reported aim would be to increase safety and transparency but medical experts warn such a move could potentially limit access to vaccines and also undermine vaccine confidence. O'Brien stressed that the "gold standard" process for vaccine development already calls for placebo testing when developing completely new vaccines against diseases for which no immunisation options exist. But she warned that existing vaccines that are altered to cover new strains for instance could also be considered new vaccines. In such cases, it could be unethical to give test subjects a placebo -- an inert product that does not prevent disease -- instead of "vaccines that are life-saving that are already licensed", she said. "I think the important part of this is that the quality of clinical trials and safety assessments of those clinical trials are at the heart of what all vaccine development is about," O'Brien said. "It's very important that we not constrain the ability and opportunity to develop better vaccines... The goal is to continue to develop improved vaccines." The WHO warned last week that outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, meningitis, and yellow fever are on the rise globally amid misinformation and cuts to international aid. Kennedy, a vaccine sceptic who has long promoted disproven theories linking childhood vaccines to autism, has also in recent days reportedly made false claims that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine contains "aborted fetus debris". "Some of these statements around what is used to produce measles and rubella vaccine, they're not accurate statements," O'Brien said. She urged people with power and influence to help boost confidence in the safety, efficacy and importance of vaccines, which have saved more than 150 million lives in the past five decades, according to the WHO. "It really is the trust of communities, of people in communities, that forms the impact of vaccines," she said.
Al-Ahram Weekly
11-04-2025
- Health
- Al-Ahram Weekly
WHO says more must be done to control measles - Health - Life & Style
The World Health Organization called Thursday for greater efforts to combat measles, which is spreading in 58 countries including the United States, where two children have died. The Geneva-based UN agency also stressed that the measles vaccine is safe and effective. "I'll just remind folks that measles is one of the most infectious viruses, so measles anywhere is measles everywhere," Kate O'Brien, director of the WHO's vaccine department, told a press conference. She avoided criticism of US President Donald Trump and his Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., an outspoken vaccine skeptic. Kennedy has been accused of not doing enough to combat the deadly measles outbreak, which has its epicenter in Texas where there have been hundreds of cases. He has only recently recognized the effectiveness of the vaccine. "The US is working to control the outbreak and to shut the outbreak down," O'Brien said. But she added that "for any country, as long as an outbreak is going on, not enough is yet happening. We could only say enough is happening when the outbreak has ended." O'Brien said the disease is spreading because of declines in vaccination levels, partly because of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. "The measles vaccine is an incredibly safe vaccine, and it's an incredibly effective vaccine," O'Brien said. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
