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WHO begins polio vaccination efforts in Gaza for 600,000 children

August 8, 2024

The World Health Organization is intensifying its efforts to combat a polio outbreak in Gaza by planning to distribute 1.2 million vaccines after detecting the virus in the area’s wastewater. The vaccination campaign targets 600,000 children under the age of eight, with the first round set to begin Aug. 17.

Despite these efforts, significant challenges persist. The Gaza Health Ministry declared a polio epidemic in the region last month, but with only a few hospitals operational and strict movement restrictions in place, distributing vaccines door-to-door is exceptionally difficult.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called for a temporary cease-fire to allow “absolute freedom of movement,” which is crucial for ensuring the vaccines reach those most in need without delay.

“In Gaza, the detection of polio in wastewater indicates the virus has been circulating, putting unvaccinated children at significant risk,” Tedros said. “We are not only distributing vaccines but also strengthening routine immunization and disease surveillance. For these operations to succeed, we urgently need unimpeded access for health workers and their equipment.”

Tedros also highlighted the dire public health conditions such as overcrowding, destroyed sewage systems, and a lack of clean water, creating an ideal breeding ground for the poliovirus.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military has begun vaccinating its soldiers as a precautionary measure, though WHO reports no clinical cases of polio have been found so far.
Skin diseases spread in Gaza tent camps as sanitation crisis worsens

July 30, 2024
As Israel’s war against Hamas continues in Gaza, the humanitarian crisis among Palestinians is growing more dire. Not only are many Palestinians facing a food shortage, but on Tuesday, July 30, doctors reported that skin diseases are rampant in Gaza’s tent camps, mostly among children.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that more than 103,000 cases of lice and scabies, and 65,000 cases of skin rashes have been reported as unsanitary conditions become more pervasive in the region.

Those who live in the camps said that cleanliness is “impossible” and that there is “no shampoo, no soap” or access to clean water.

Basic necessities like soaps and medicines are reportedly slow to trickle into Gaza. The United Nations said that ongoing Israeli military operations and the looting of trucks make it too dangerous to bring relief to the area.

Meanwhile, the U.N. said that the “solid waste management system has collapsed,” with Gaza’s two pre-war landfills unreachable due to military operations. The U.N. set up 10 temporary landfill sites but that there are around 140 makeshift dump sites that are just giant piles of human waste and garbage, with some right next to Palestinians living in tents.

One doctor at a hospital in Gaza said that treatments for skin diseases are scarce. He added that in many cases, bacteria and fungus have already reached the patient’s bloodstream, making a simple case potentially deadly.

In addition to concerns about skin diseases, WHO data shows that there have been nearly 1 million cases of acute respiratory infections since the start of the war.

Furthermore, health officials are warning of Polio potentially spreading after remnants of the virus were found in sewage in Gaza.
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Dengue fever cases rise globally, new cases found in Florida

July 2, 2024
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have issued warnings about a global increase in dengue fever cases. Florida officials reported at least two cases of the virus in the Florida Keys over the weekend of June 28, adding to the growing number of cases across multiple counties in the Sunshine State.

Dengue fever, also known as break-bone fever, is an illness transmitted by mosquitoes and is more commonly found in tropical climates. While most people infected with dengue don’t experience symptoms, those who do may suffer from flu-like symptoms, including high fever, headache, body aches, nausea and rash.

WHO states that there is no specific treatment for dengue, and most people recover within one to two weeks. However, some cases can be severe, requiring hospitalization. In rare instances, dengue can be fatal. Severe symptoms include abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, bleeding gums or nose, and fatigue.

The good news is that dengue is not contagious and can only be transmitted by mosquitoes. Health officials in the Florida Keys clarified that the two affected individuals contracted the virus locally, unrelated to travel.

To prevent further spread, the Florida Department of Health advises residents to eliminate standing water on their properties, which serves as breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Additionally, using insect repellent containing DEET is recommended.

This alert comes shortly after the CDC reported a surge in dengue fever cases worldwide, including the Americas. From Jan. 1 to June 24, countries in the Americas reported nearly 10 million cases, surpassing the highest annual record ever documented.
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CDC studying Michigan farm workers’ blood to fight H5N1 virus

June 27, 2024
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Tuesday, June 25, an unprecedented study on human blood in hopes that it may provide answers on how to fight the H5N1 virus. The agencies will conduct research on the blood of farm workers to see if they carry H5N1 antibodies. Researchers will also look to see if workers exposed to infected cows have asymptomatic infections.

The research could shed light on whether farm workers are spreading the virus through contact with infected raw milk on their clothes or skin, or whether infected humans can spread the virus to other animals, according to scientists involved in the study.

Dairy farmers have previously been reluctant to do testing. Last week, Michigan offered to pay 20 dairy farms up to $28,000 each to participate in research. The money would be in addition to funds the federal government is offering.

Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday that it’s launching another round of testing on dairy products, sampling more than 150 products, like raw milk cheeses, cream cheese, ice cream and butter. The additional testing is to shore up gaps in any research the agency may have missed the first time.

The agency’s initial testing showed that some commercial milk and other dairy products contained the remnants of H5N1, but said pasteurization made the products safe to consume.

The latest testing also comes following recent studies on infected milk, in which researchers used a process similar to the flash pasteurization method — the most common process to pasteurize commercial milk in the United States — and found that the process may not fully neutralize all of the virus remnants in milk.

However, scientists cautioned that experiments did not replicate the full flash pasteurization process, including a pre-heating step, and maintained that more research is needed to verify results. An FDA spokesperson said the agency’s studies will be closer to the method used in commercial milk processing.

The testing of farm workers in Michigan comes after two farm workers in the state tested positive for the virus in May.

Meanwhile, efforts across the world are being launched to defend against the virus. Finland announced plans on Wednesday to vaccinate vulnerable populations against bird flu, which would make it the first country to do so.
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Breakthrough study reveals doctors used shockwaves to regenerate heart tissue

June 21, 2024
For the first time, doctors succeeded in regenerating damaged heart tissue. The findings were published in the European Heart Journal on Thursday, June 20. Surgeons in Austria used a device named the “space hairdryer” during open-heart bypass surgery to send gentle shockwaves to the patient’s heart. Ten minutes of treatment led to the reactivation of heart muscle and the regrowth of new vessels in the damaged area, which was previously believed to be impossible by medical experts.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death around the world, according to the World Health Organization. However, the breakthrough is now lending hope to millions of people who have cardiovascular diseases. Heart bypass surgery only maintains heart function, while this experimental procedure apparently improves function.

The study found that those who received the treatment could walk further and blood flow to their heart improved by more than 11%. Researchers said that the findings suggest that patients who have the procedure can expect longer lives and better quality of life.

Right now, the sample size is small, consisting of 63 patients divided into two groups. Half of the patients underwent bypass surgery with shockwave treatment while the other half just underwent bypass surgery. Doctors said that they hope to expand trials to other patients to see if the findings can be further verified.

Eventually, the researchers believe that more than one-third of heart failure patients will be able to receive the treatment. The BBC reported that the researchers have developed a spin-off company called Heart Regeneration Technologies to develop the new medical device that is set to be available by 2025.

Researchers who used the shockwave method of treatment maintain that it is “feasible” and “safe.” The treatment is already used to treat injured ligaments and to break up kidney stones.
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WHO confirms first human death from bird flu

June 6, 2024
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a man from Mexico died from the bird flu, caused by a strain not previously found in humans. The specific strain is called H5N2. According to the WHO, it remains unclear how the 59-year-old man contracted the virus.

H5N2 has been reported in poultry in Mexico, although the man had not been exposed to poultry or other animals. The victim had multiple underlying medical conditions including diabetes, chronic kidney failure and high blood pressure. His family informed the agency that he had been bedridden for three weeks before developing a fever on April 17.

The man also experienced shortness of breath, diarrhea and nausea, leading to his hospitalization on April 24. Doctors confirmed the illness as avian influenza H5N2.

People who were in contact with the infected man were all tested, and the results came back negative for bird flu. Notably, this particular strain, H5N2, differs from the strain infecting dairy cow herds, wild birds and poultry flocks across the United States, which is H5N1. H5N1 has been transmitted to three dairy farm workers in the last three months, all of whom suffered mild cases.

Richard Webby, a flu researcher at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, emphasized that while the risk to humans is currently low, viruses can change over time.

“The more opportunities we give this virus to grow in different hosts and environments, the higher the risk to humans,” Webby said.

Scientists are actively working on developing an mRNA vaccine for current bird flu strains affecting both cows and humans. This effort aims to prepare for potential mutations that could increase transmissibility and lethality.

WHO maintains its existing recommendations for public health measures and surveillance of influenza.
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World Central Kitchen pauses operations in Rafah after continued strikes

May 30, 2024

World Central Kitchen has paused its operations in Rafah, citing “ongoing attacks” by the Israeli army. The organization has relocated north amid a series of Israeli strikes that resumed Wednesday, May 29. This followed an airstrike on Sunday, May 26, that killed at least 45 civilians sheltering in tents. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident a “tragic mishap.”

This strike occurred near a designated “safe” zone for Palestinians fleeing military action.

https://twitter.com/WCKitchen/status/1795891002076540989

Despite these challenges, the kitchen provided 100,000 meals on Monday, May 27, in Gaza and plans to increase this effort. The group had only recently resumed operations four weeks after an airstrike killed seven of its workers.

Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) reported that no substantial aid has reached the area since May 6 due to the intense fighting. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, noted that Gaza’s health system has effectively been dismantled, with daily patient deaths due to the ongoing shortages and violence.

The Israel Defense Forces have urged around 100,000 residents to evacuate Rafah in anticipation of a major ground invasion, with about 1 million people already displaced.
Bird flu found in cattle; experts warn of risks to humans, other mammals

April 22, 2024
The H5N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu, mutated to infect dairy cows for the first time, according to reports. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said eight states experienced bird flu outbreaks in cattle, while 48 reported outbreaks in poultry and 50 faced outbreaks in wild birds.

So, what are the implications for humans?

The CDC said that the risk of bird flu transmission to humans remains low. Since 2022, the CDC reported two human cases of H5N1 in the U.S.

In early April, the CDC disclosed that a Texas cattle farmer contracted the virus after close contact with an infected dairy cow.

In response, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, which represents hundreds of cattle veterinarians, urged against using the term “bird flu in cattle.” The group argued that the disease in cattle differs significantly than in birds and people should treat it accordingly.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief sounded the alarm, labeling bird flu in cattle as “an enormous concern.” This is because of the virus’s evolving nature and its potential to infect mammals closer to humans.

H5N1 doesn’t currently spread from person to person. However, health experts expressed concerns over its potential severity if it were to mutate and infect more humans. Since 2003, there have been 889 human cases of H5N1 which resulted in 463 deaths, a 52% fatality rate.

Infectious disease experts warn of the pandemic potential of the disease as it jumps to more mammals, including dairy cows, and could mutate further to infect humans.

The WHO said it has a vaccine template ready if the virus mutates to infect a large number of humans.

Scientists initially detected H5N1 in birds in 1996. The virus has since infected and killed hundreds of millions of birds globally. It has also been found in various mammals, including squirrels, polar bears, skunks, sea lions, and now, dairy cows.

To mitigate risks, the CDC recommended avoiding consumption of raw or undercooked food, as well as raw milk and cheese.
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Senators say WHO pandemic treaty could destroy innovation ecosystem

February 22, 2024
The World Health Organization is developing a pandemic treaty that it contends will help prevent pandemics and increase preparedness to save lives, reduce disease burden and protect livelihoods. The WHO said it’s doing this because the international community’s response to COVID-19 was a “catastrophic failure.”

However, a bipartisan group of senators is telling the Biden administration it is concerned the treaty could undermine intellectual property laws and, in turn, disincentivize research and development into vaccines.

A draft of the treaty reveals it could require countries to provide “real-time access by WHO to 20% of the production of safe, efficacious and effective pandemic-related products, including diagnostics, vaccines, personal protective equipment and therapeutics, to enable equitable distribution…”

“This means that if a company successfully develops a pandemic-related product, that company will not be able to realize any return on investment,” Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and James Lankford, R-Okla., wrote in a letter to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

“Alarmingly, such a provision may lead companies to refrain altogether from developing new pandemic-related products and instead choose to invest in other areas that do not involve the same legal risks,” the letter says. “If such a policy had been in place ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic, it could have prevented innovations critical to ending the global public health emergency, such as mRNA vaccines or Paxlovid.”

A public comment period on these treaty provisions closed on Jan. 22. The Health and Human Services Department asked the public to specifically address incentives, research and collaboration when providing responses.

The senators are asking the Biden administration to seek significantly more public feedback through hearings and studies.

“The draft agreement under consideration, however, contains many provisions that would undercut — if not destroy — the very aspects of our innovation ecosystem that just recently produced such positive results,” the senators wrote.

The WHO wants to finalize the draft of the treaty so it can be formally debated and considered at the World Health Assembly, which begins May 27.
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Will Biden enter pandemic treaty requiring 20% of supplies go to WHO?

February 7, 2024
The World Health Organization (WHO) is creating a treaty to prepare for the next pandemic which would be legally binding for all countries that agree to it. The treaty has been through many drafts, but a final version could be released just ahead of the World Health Assembly on May 27 when members hope to have a final vote.

However, two Republican congressmen contend the treaty requires the U.S. to provide too many resources and puts extreme requirements on the U.S. health care system.

“The United States should be setting the gold standard for approval,” Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, said. “Incentivizing best practices and doing everything we can to ensure that an organization like the WHO listens to American interests as well.”

“Binding international covenants, treaties or agreements and the legal obligations imposed on nations require serious and comprehensive analysis.,” Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said.

According to a draft of the treaty, it would require countries to provide a minimum of 20% of their production of safe, efficacious and effective pandemic-related products, including diagnostics, vaccines, personal protective equipment and therapeutics. The requirement aims to ensure equitable distribution of resources.

Article 10 states all countries have the “sovereign right to determine and manage their approach to public health.” But the article later adds, “provided that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to their peoples and other countries.”

The WHO said the treaty has four main goals:
- Build resilience to pandemics.
- Support prevention, detection, and responses to outbreaks with pandemic potential.
- Ensure equitable access to pandemic countermeasures.
- Support global coordination through a stronger and more accountable WHO.
“The COVID-19 pandemic showed the world that the World Health Organization is not the preeminent global health institution that perhaps it once was,” Wenstrup said. “To me, the WHO should be there to benefit all of humankind and should not be influenced outside it should be agnostic of all politics.”

President Biden could present it to the Senate for advice and consent, which would require a two-thirds vote. Or, he could enter an “executive agreement,” which does not require congressional approval. Either way, it would be considered legally binding. It’s unclear if Biden plans to join the agreement.

Straight Arrow News asked the White House for comment but has not heard back as of Feb. 7.

“Bypassing Senate ratification would be an egregious mistake,” Smith said.

Bypassing Congress isn’t new. President Obama bypassed Congress to enter the Paris Climate Accord. Perhaps the most famous executive agreement came in July 1940 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave Britain 50 Navy destroyers in exchange for 99-year leases on British naval bases. In January 1941, Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act.
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