Sorry, Kids: FluMist May Not Be Coming Back Any Time Soon
The efficacy of the nasal mist was called into question last year, and it might be a long road back for this vaccine method. In other public health news, a mumps outbreaks, transgender teenagers, air pollution, smokers, gun wounds and heart disease.
Stat:
Nasal Vaccine FluMist May Not Be Recommended For Use For Years
Once a darling of pediatricians and parents, the nasal mist vaccine was not recommended for use in the United States this winter because studies showed it offered limited protection in recent years. On Wednesday, officials from MedImmune, the division of AstraZeneca that makes the vaccine, reported on their efforts to fix the vaccine during a meeting here of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the expert panel that counsels the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine use. (Branswell, 2/23)
The Washington Post:
Rise In Mumps Outbreaks Prompts U.S. Officials To Weigh Third Vaccine Dose
Federal health officials are evaluating the benefit of an additional dose of the mumps vaccine because of the increasing number of mumps outbreaks since 2006. More than 5,000 cases of the contagious viral illness were reported last year in the United States, the most in a decade. Among the outbreaks in recent years, 19 occurred last year on college campuses. Arkansas has been battling an outbreak that began in one community last summer and has since infected 2,815 people, the largest recorded in that state. (Sun, 2/23)
The New York Times:
One In Every 137 Teenagers Would Identify As Transgender, Report Says
Nearly 150,000 American teenagers from 13 to 17 years old — or one out of every 137 — would identify as transgender if survey takers asked, according to an analysis of state and federal data that offers an answer to a question that has long eluded researchers. The figure stands to inform the fierce debate over the rights of transgender youth, reignited on Wednesday by President Trump’s decision to rescind an Obama administration policy that protected the rights of students to use bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity. (Chokshi, 2/23)
The Washington Post:
Air Pollution Affects Preterm Birthrates Globally, Study Finds
A pregnant woman's exposure to air pollution has adverse effects on her fetus, according to a new international study, with prolonged exposure associated with nearly 1 in 5 premature births globally. The study, published recently in the journal Environment International, is the first global estimate of preterm births associated with pollution caused by fine particulate matter. This matter, known as PM2.5, is identified by the size of the microscopic particles and droplets it contains (2.5 micrometers in diameter or less), and it can reach deep into the respiratory tract. It is emitted by man-made sources such as diesel engines, industrial plants and the cooking fuels used mostly in parts of Asia, as well as by natural sources such as chemical reactions occurring in the atmosphere. (Naqvi, 2/23)
The New York Times:
Current And Former Smokers: Eat Your Fruits And Vegetables
Each additional daily serving of fruits and vegetables that smokers and former smokers eat is associated with a 4 to 8 percent lower risk of their developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the third leading cause of death in the United States, a new study found. (Rabin, 2/23)
Tampa Bay Times:
In Harm's Way: Alone With A Gun, Her Innocent Curiosity Brought A Lifetime Of Scars
For a young child, a gunshot wound is a particularly devastating medical event. It may seem obvious, but that's partly because kids have smaller, more compact bodies than adults. A bullet that travels 6 inches through a child can hit more organs than a bullet that travels the same distance in an adult. (McGrory, 2/24)
Miami Herald:
Kids Are Developing Heart Disease At An Early Age Due To Their Weight
Obesity, coupled with a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits, has given rise to children developing at least three of the most dangerous risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, large waistlines or high blood sugar levels. Dr. Anthony Rossi, a pediatric cardiologist specializing in critical care at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, didn’t worry about kids contracting type 2 diabetes when he started his career. It didn’t exist in children. (Medina, 2/23)
