Spurred By Zika Outbreak, Experimental DNA Vaccines Gain Footing
These vaccines, which scientists can develop in weeks and begin human trials within months, may provide longer-lasting immunity compared with conventional vaccines. In other public health news: black lung cases are spiking; hearing loss is on the decline; Angelina Jolie's breast cancer essay has unintended consequences; and depression among airline pilots is common.
The Wall Street Journal:
America’s Next Defense Against Zika And Other Foreign Invaders
Dr. Keith Hamilton took his turn in the patient chair and braced for the sting of an experimental Zika vaccine. The injection was the easy part. Next, a nurse jabbed three tiny needles in his upper arm with a device that delivered two electrical jolts strong enough to flex muscle. He said it felt like a needle piercing his arm, again and again. Dr. Hamilton, an infectious-diseases doctor, was on a break from his rounds to volunteer in a landmark trial of a next-generation vaccine at the University of Pennsylvania’s medical school. (McKay and Loftus, 12/15)
WBUR:
Advanced Black Lung Cases Surge In Appalachia
Across Appalachia, coal miners are suffering from the most serious form of the deadly mining disease black lung in numbers more than 10 times what federal regulators report, an NPR investigation has found. The government, through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, reported 99 cases of "complicated" black lung, or progressive massive fibrosis, throughout the country the last five years. (Berkes, 12/15)
The New York Times:
Americans’ Hearing Loss Decreases Even With Ubiquitous Headphones
As concern rises over the effect of continuous use of headphones and earbuds on hearing, a new paper by federal researchers has found something unexpected. The prevalence of hearing loss in Americans of working age has declined. (Kolata, 12/15)
The Washington Post:
The Unintended Consequence Of Angelina Jolie’s Viral Breast Cancer Essay
When Angelina Jolie published an essay in the New York Times about her decision in 2013 to get a double mastectomy, the essay quickly went viral. Jolie's frank and candid admission that she had inherited a "faulty" BRCA1 gene that increased her risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer and struggled with what to do struck a chord with people. Jolie revealed that she had undergone a medical procedure rarely talked about openly, much less by A-list celebrities, and said she hoped her experience could help others. (Johnson, 12/15)
Los Angeles Times:
Depression Symptoms Are Common Among Active Airline Pilots, International Survey Reveals
Behind the self-confident gait, the friendly greeting and the air of superb competence, as many as 13% of the nation’s commercial airline pilots may be suffering from depression, and roughly 1 in 25 report they’ve had suicidal thoughts in the last two weeks, a new study reveals. But the researchers — the first to ask a large sample of airline pilots about their mental health — suggest that depressed pilots are reluctant to seek treatment for their depression for fear of being grounded or damaging their careers. (Healy, 12/15)
