CHIP May be Bigger Risk for Stroke or Heart Attack

It's as unconventional as it could be. The conventional knowledge of what might contribute to heart attack or a stroke received a severe jolt with new finding that stem-cell mutation of a special kind might be a significant contributor to a stroke or heart disease. The New York Times reported on January 31, 2018 that research showed a link between higher odds of a heart attack or stroke and Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential (CHIP), a mutation of stem cells in bone marrow. 

Flu and Its Various Types, RSV

2018 Flu Sweeps the Nation
This year, flu is particularly deadly, and there are plenty of instances where people are getting struck by second round of flu. In order to understand how flu is re-emerging as a second wave, one needs to look at types of flu and how they particularly emerge in a given year. There are four types of Flu:

* Type A: This type causes seasonal epidemic. This year the predominant strain of Type A flu is H3N2. Another type of strain, H1N1, also known as "swine flu" caused havoc in 2009, but it is milder this year.

* Type B: This type of flu also causes seasonal epidemic, but not as severe as Type A. The common strains this year are Yamagata and Victoria.

* Type C: This type doesn't cause seasonal epidemic, but it causes respiratory illnesses.

* Type D: Type D flu usually can be found in cattle, and thus, only ranchers or anyone in contact with any ranching operation need to be careful against this flu. 

Flu Eruptions Overwhelm Parts of the U.S.

The Dallas Morning News reported in its February 12, 2025, edition that 10 states and New York City were witnessing the surges in flu cases and related hospitalizations. According to the data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on February 7, 2025, at least 24 million flu cases were reported since October 2024, out of which there were 310,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 deaths, including 57 children. There are clusters of surges that have impacted Texas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Carolina and Tennessee. In New York City alone, 51,000 positive flu cases were reported in the week ending January 25, 2025, with about 3,000 hospitalizations. 

The flu vaccination rate is running at 45% rate for adults, which remains the same as last year. That people are taking less caution, giving up masks and other best practices and protocols partly explains the jump in flu cases. Also compounding the woes of the medical community is President Donald Trump's January 21, 2025, executive order stopping all communications from the CDC, thus hampering the medical communities' work on mitigation strategy as there were no CDC alerts to guide them. 

RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS

Europe Approves World's First RSV Vaccine for Infants

European Commission approved the world's first vaccine against Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, among infants. In a statement on November 4, 2022, drugmakers Sanofi and AstraZeneca said that the European Commission had okayed the administration of a single-dose Nirsevimab, a lab-developed antibody designed to fight against RSV. RSV normally affects most of the kids ages two and younger, and the overwhelming number of cases are mild. However, children's hospitals across the U.S. are reporting significantly higher number of [RSV-related] admissions this year. In September 2022, European Medicines Agency recommended that Nirsevimab, sold as Beyfortus, be administered to babies to grow immunity against RSV. 

CDC Signs off the First Vaccine for RSV

Outgoing CDC Director Dr. Rachel Walensky on June 29, 2023 signed off on FDA recommendation last month for a vaccine against Respiratory Syncytial Virus, RSV, for elderly people ages 60 and over. However, the approval for the RSV vaccine comes with a caveat: elderly people need to speak with their doctors on whether they need the shot at the first place. RSV disproportionately impacts the children and elderly people. There is no vaccine yet for the nation's little ones. A soon-to-be evaluated vaccine will come before the FDA to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a vaccine for pregnant that will prevent RSV infection in infants. CDC approved RSV vaccines developed by Pfizer and GSK (GlaxoSmithKline). 

RSV Shot Approved for Kids ages up to 2

Federal regulators on July 17, 2023 approved an RSV shot for the littlest healthy babies and some vulnerable toddlers. The shot approved is not exactly a vaccine, but works like a vaccine. It's a drug that includes antibodies formed in laboratories that block the virus' entry into body system. The shot, manufactured by Sanofi and AstraZeneca, may be administered to an infant either right after birth during the RSV season, or at a pediatrician's office before the baby's first RSV season. The preventive shot, Beyfortus, is also recommended for high-risk children ages up to 2. 

CDC Experts Panel Approves Beyfortus

A CDC Experts panel on August 3, 2023 has approved Beyfortus for the infants born before or after the onset of the RSV season, which normally runs from November to March, as well as for the infants who will be less than 8 months prior to the onset of the RSV season. In addition, the outside SME panel recommended the treatment for the vulnerable toddlers too. 

FDA Approves Moderna's RSV Vaccine for Older Adults

Expanding the vaccine market beyond the fading COVID-19 domain, Massachusetts-based Moderna on May 31, 2024 received approval of its landmark RSV vaccine for older adults.