“While the monitoring and control measures by governments and regulators are critical, tackling the spread of infectious diseases is a societal effort.”
Linda MacKinnon, CEO, International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID)
Page 05
“We’ve got to get people to realize these symptoms could be serious, but with proper testing, you can get on a treatment that could make the difference between life and death.”
Dr. Jeb Teichman, Chief Medical Officer, Families Fighting Flu
Page 06
AMANDA KLOOTS
How Vaccines Can Keep Kids in School and Ready to Learn
Do you know which childhood diseases the DTaP vaccine helps prevent? Answer: diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (also called whooping cough).
If you didn’t know the answer, you’re not alone!
Childhood vaccinations like DTaP have been so successful in preventing serious illness and death from once common diseases that many of us are unfamiliar with their names or symptoms.
Making sure your child receives all the recommended vaccinations is important for keeping them healthy. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that fewer kindergarten children are getting vaccinated compared to before the COVID19 pandemic. This means that around 250,000 kindergartners may not have full protection against serious diseases.
Parents can help ensure their child is protected from serious diseases like measles, which can spread easily in school settings, by talking to a healthcare provider about recommended vaccines. Here are some of the childhood diseases recommended vaccinations offer protection against:
Diphtheria
Diphtheria is a contagious bacterial infection of the nose and throat — and sometimes skin — that can cause difficulty breathing. In more serious cases, diphtheria can cause heart damage, heart failure, and nerve damage.
Pertussis (whooping cough) Pertussis (whooping cough) is a very contagious bacterial
infection of the lungs. Pertussis usually starts with cold-like symptoms but can become very serious. Someone with whooping cough may experience extreme coughing, which can result in vomiting and exhaustion. Babies and young children may not cough at all but may have difficulty breathing instead.
Polio
Polio is caused by poliovirus, a viral infection of the nerves and brain. Poliovirus can cause life-long paralysis and can be life-threatening.
Measles
Measles is highly contagious and can be serious. Measles can cause high fever, cough, runny
A Vaccine Profile of Group B Streptococcus (GBS)
nose, rash, and red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis). A person with measles can infect up to 9 out of 10 people around them if they haåve not been vaccinated against measles. Measles can cause serious health complications like encephalitis, especially in children younger than 5 years old.
Most kids don’t know about these diseases. Let’s keep it that way. Talk to your child’s healthcare provider about recommended childhood vaccines.
Group B streptococcus is one of the biggest killers of newborns in both wealthy and disadvantaged countries alike; now we are closer to a vaccine that could save thousands of lives every year.
In many people, Streptococcus agalactiae or Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a roundish bacterium drifting along in chains through our body, part of the microbiome of bacteria that co-exists harmlessly inside us, including in around 1 in 5 pregnant people.
However, in babies, both in the womb and outside, this mostly benign bacterium can turn deadly, causing pre-term births or stillbirths. Even when newborns survive the birth, they can still become very ill ill with meningitis (when the meninges (the thin lining covering the brain and spinal cord) become infected), or sepsis (blood poisoning, which can trigger tissue damage, organ failure, and death).
GBS can also cause pneumonia, which
kills more children each year than any other disease, causing pre-term births, stillbirths, and neonatal deaths.
Group B streptococcus disease
The bacteria has 10 different serotypes, with 1a, 1b, II, III, IV, and V causing the most disease.
According to the World Health Organization, GBS was estimated to have caused 392,000 cases of neonatal disease annually in 2015, causing 91,000 deaths and at least 57,000 stillbirths. Africa by far bears the highest burden, as it has 54% of estimated invasive GBS cases and 65% of all infant deaths.
While the biggest risk is to babies, GBS can also affect elderly people or those who are immuno-compromised.
As there is no licensed vaccine yet, in high-resource countries, pregnant people are screened for GBS colonization and given prophylactic antibiotics (penicillin). This is more than 80% effective for preventing early-onset disease in infants (up to 6 days of age), but not against late-onset disease (7 to 89 days) or prebirth sequelae associated with GBS infection.
Written by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
A longer version of this article originally appeared on Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance’s VaccinesWork platform, gavi.org/vaccineswork
Publisher Benedetta Marchesi, Alexandra Miller, Max Lindner, Valeria Vizcarrondo Managing Director Gretchen Pancak
Director Kylie Armishaw
Dustin Brennan
WRITTEN BY Dr. Georgina Peacock Director, Immunization Services Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
What You Need to Know About Vaccines for Bacterial and Viral Diseases
Vaccines can help you stay healthy. Learn how vaccines against bacteria and viruses can prevent serious illnesses like pneumonia, diphtheria, pertussis, and meningitis.
Getting sick is always uncomfortable and inconvenient. The good news is that you can prevent many common types of illness.
Critical role of vaccines in general health
Vaccines can help control and prevent a number of infectious diseases, including pneumococcal disease, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, and meningococcal disease. While these illnesses were once more widespread, vaccines can help manage the number of cases, preventing others from getting sick and controlling the spread of infections. In some cases, vaccines have even been able to help eradicate diseases.
Bacterial vs. viral infections
When you have an infection, doctors can determine whether your illness is caused by bacteria or a virus. Bacteria are single-celled living organisms. Viruses are particles that contain genetic material that need a host cell to reproduce and multiply. While bacterial and viral infections are different, they have one thing in common.
“A similarity between bacterial and viral infections is that both can result in serious illness and even death,” said Julie Skinner, vice president of bacterial vaccines and technology at Pfizer, a biopharmaceutical company.
Pathogenic bacteria cause diseases
Some bacteria, like gut flora, can be good, but others can make you sick. For example, Streptococcus pneumoniae, the bacteria responsible for pneumococcal disease, is spread through respiratory secretions like saliva and mucus, frequently causing ear infections or sinus problems. It can also cause serious and even fatal complications, such as pneumonia, meningitis — an infection in the lining of the brain and spinal cord — or bacteremia, which happens when bacteria get into the bloodstream, potentially causing sepsis. These complications can be particularly serious when developed in young children or older adults.
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is another severe bacterial infection. Whooping cough is highly contagious and can be spread by air from person to person. When infected with whooping cough, a person can be contagious for at least two weeks, putting everyone around them at risk. While some people may experience persistent cough and cold symptoms lasting several weeks, the greatest risk is for children. Every year, there are 24 million cases of whooping cough worldwide, which cause more than 160,000 deaths in children under age 5.
Pfizer has extensive experience targeting pathogens to make effective vaccines that help prevent these illnesses. For example, one vaccine covers 20 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, offering broad protection against pneumococcal disease. Another vaccine can protect against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis.
Why vaccination is a powerful tool
Vaccinations can help protect individuals, families, and communities. The more people are vaccinated, the better the community’s chance to stay healthy because infectious diseases will be managed or potentially eliminated. Skinner, who has spent most of her career fighting Streptococcus pneumoniae, says vaccines are sometimes underappreciated.
“In many cases, if you’re vaccinated, you could come in contact with a pathogen, and you may never know it,” she said. “So, I look at this as the beauty of vaccines. It’s only if you are unvaccinated and come in contact with these bacteria — that’s when the problems start, when you get symptoms, and when you could end up in the hospital. Vaccines are powerful tools — against both bacterial and viral infections.”
Fighting vaccine misconceptions
One of the biggest misconceptions about vaccines is that getting sick and developing natural immunity is a part of life. “Choosing not to get vaccinated puts a person and those around them — family and community — at greater
risk,” Skinner said. She suggests researching vaccines on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website and talking with your doctor about which vaccines are best for you and your family.
Developing vaccines for Lyme and GBS
Pfizer is developing vaccines for viral and bacterial diseases, including Lyme disease and Group B Streptococcus (GBS). Lyme disease, which affects people of all ages, is a bacterial infection caused by an infected tick’s bite that can cause a range of symptoms, including fever, rash, facial paralysis, an irregular heartbeat, and arthritis.
GBS is a common bacterium that can cause potentially devastating diseases in infants’ first three months of life. If the mother carries the bacteria, it may be passed from infant to mother during labor or delivery. GBS can cause sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis, which carry a high risk of death for newborns. While antibiotics can treat these illnesses, vaccines against GBS could help prevent over half a million deaths globally each year.
Written by Kristen Castillo
Read more about how Pfizer is using science and global resources to help protect people from infectious diseases:
Protect Yourself By Taking These Preventative Steps
Most people have been bitten by a mosquito at some point in their lives. And while they may not think of them as more than an itchy nuisance, preventing these bites — and the diseases associated with them — is increasingly critical.
Reports suggest climate change is making it easier for mosquito populations to survive, and the more mosquitos there are, the more likely people are to contract a mosquito-borne illness.
One such illness, West Nile Virus, is spread by mosquitoes who feed on infected birds, and it has no vaccines or medicines to prevent or treat it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s why preventing mosquito bites in the first place is key, especially during peak season, which is summer through fall.
The CDC offers the following tips to prevent mosquito bites:
• Apply insect repellents. Opt specifically for those that are registered
by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The CDC recommends using repellents with one of these five active ingredients that the EPA has determined safely and effectively prevents bug bites: DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, IR3535, or 2-undecanone.
• Be strategic with your clothing. In particular, choose clothing that is loose-fitting. Also, wear pants and long sleeves. Finally, consider clothing and gear treated with permethrin, which is an insecticide that can repel and kill mosquitoes.
• Don’t forget: Mosquitoes can be hard to avoid. Control for them during the day and at night, as well as indoors and out.
What’s more, be aware of the signs and symptoms of West Nile Virus. These include fever, body aches and headache, rash, and gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea and vomiting. However, most of the time, people who are infected don’t get sick. Only 1 in 5 becomes symptomatic, and about 1 in 150 who are infected develop severe illness that may lead to death. So far in 2024, 38 U.S. states have reported 377 human cases of West Nile Virus. Texas, Nebraska, Mississippi, and California are the states with the most cases. Be vigilant for mosquitoes in your hometown, and take steps to keep bites at bay.
Written by Melinda Carter
Amanda Kloots On Life, Loss, and Vaccinations
Dancer and TV star Amanda Kloots opens up about the passing of her husband, Nick, from COVID-19, and shares what readers can do to maintain their health and fitness.
What inspired you to start talking to others about getting vaccinated against COVID-19?
It was a surreal and out-of-body experience, getting the COVID-19 vaccine. I felt very privileged to be able to get the vaccine because it was not available for all the people who suffered and died from the disease. I couldn’t shake the feeling that if Nick had been able to get it, he might still be here. It was a bittersweet moment, filled with both relief and profound sadness. I felt a deep sense of gratitude and pride for the opportunity to protect myself and my son from the virus that had taken my husband’s life.
Given that you are extremely active and involved in the fitness space, what daily habits or routines do you find most effective in maintaining a strong immune system and preventing infections? Every day I try to get enough sleep. Sleep is so important for your body to heal and recover. I also try to drink a ton of water. I love to put a lemon in the water to act as a natural electrolyte and ensure that I am extremely hydrated throughout the day because this helps to flush all the toxins out of my body.
Are there any public health initiatives or campaigns related to infection prevention that you support or admire? I think it’s important to be mindful of others, especially during times when we might be feeling under the weather. Wearing a mask,
even when you’re just a little sniffly, can help prevent the spread of illness and protect those around you. It’s a small act of kindness that can make a big difference. I know it might seem like a hassle at times, but it’s a simple way to show that you care about the health and well-being of your community.
What has kept you hopeful during difficult times?
One way that I remain hopeful is just remembering that I have the opportunity to live my life. On days when I’m really down and feel like I got the bad end of the stick, I always think to myself, “What would Nick want me to do?” I know that he would want me to do everything that I possibly can to live a beautiful and fun life as I raise my son. He would want me to go do all of the things that keep me going, keep me moving forward, and keep me positive. Whenever I am feeling down, I remember the fact that I am so lucky to be alive and live my life to the fullest.
Is there any other advice you’d like to give our readers about how they can feel healthy and well more often?
When I was with my husband on a daily basis, watching him slowly get sicker and sicker, I realized how grateful we should be to move our bodies, stay healthy, and do everything we possibly can to keep the one body that we have as healthy as possible. It is a privilege to go on a walk and move your body every single day, so don’t take your body for granted.
The Importance of Early Detection for Combatting Winter Infections
With sick season trends getting more unpredictable every year, the International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID) explains how early detection and proactive steps are our best defense.
Every August and September, the return of U.S. children to classrooms marks the start of the sick season, where close contact and shared indoor spaces create prime conditions for the spread of illnesses like influenza, COVID-19, RSV, and norovirus. Back-to-school season is closely followed by the holidays, which last year saw approximately 115 million Americans travel — movement that further exacerbates the transmission of infections.
How to keep your family safe this winter While the monitoring and control measures by governments and regulators are critical, tackling the spread of infectious diseases is a societal effort. By staying vigilant and proactive, ordinary families can play a crucial role in protecting their communities. Here are four simple ways to do your part:
1. Know the serious symptoms. Many of the common seasonal infections like RSV, COVID-19, and flu share the same early symptoms. Recognizing red flags like fever above 102°F, sharp chest pain, or sandpaper-like rashes could save lives — especially in vulnerable groups.
2. Avoid self-diagnosis. Online resources shouldn’t replace a real doctor, especially for children or the elderly, where complications are more likely.
3. Stay home when sick. For key workers who can’t stay home, practice good hygiene — frequent handwashing, wearing a mask, and maintaining distance from others.
4. Be prepared. Stock up on fever reducers, cough medicine, and hydration solutions to manage symptoms early at home and avoid emergency care.
Written by Linda MacKinnon, CEO, International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID)
Amanda Kloots | Photo by Justin Patterson
When It Comes to the Flu, We Still Have More Work to Do
The members of Families Fighting Flu have a message for you: The flu can be deadly. They know that fact all too well, having either lost a loved one to the disease or experienced long-term medical consequences as a result.
Founded in 2004 by a group of grieving parents, Families Fighting Flu (FFF) seeks to educate about the seriousness of influenza and the importance of vaccination. Joe Lastinger, one of the founding board members, lost his 3-year-old daughter to the flu. At the time, young children were not recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to get the flu shot — Families Fighting Flu was integral in changing that.
“When the original group of families came together and realized there was a vaccine that could have prevented our kids from getting
sick, we knew we had to act,” Lastinger said. “We went to the CDC, testified in front of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and told our stories. We didn’t stop until we got to the universal flu vaccine recommendation.”
Underwhelming vaccination rates
In 2010, the CDC established that virtually everyone aged 6 months and older should get a universal flu vaccine. That guidance remains in place today.
Despite that widespread recommendation, vaccine rates for influenza remain low. During the 2023-24 flu season, less than 50%
The Power of Hand Hygiene
of U.S. adults received the vaccine. The pandemic didn’t help those numbers.
“Each of our families shares their stories in the hopes of bringing understanding to why flu vaccines should be an annual priority,” said Gary Stein, Families Fighting Flu board president. “Many of our survivor families live with the guilt that they didn’t make the flu shot a priority. That is a regret that no one should have to live with.”
Written by Eric Stein; Marketing, Communications, and Programs Specialist; Families Fighting Flu
During Cold and Flu Season and Beyond
As we enter cold and flu season, the importance of hand hygiene cannot be overstated.
Respiratory illnesses surge during the winter months, but a simple, powerful act — washing our hands — can significantly reduce the spread of these viruses. Although it may seem basic, hand hygiene is one of the most straightforward and effective measures we can take to protect ourselves and others from contagious infectious diseases.
The role of hand hygiene
Respiratory viruses like the flu and the common cold are primarily transmitted through droplets from coughs, sneezes, or talking. These droplets can land on surfaces where the virus survives for hours, even days. While not the main route of the spread of these viruses, when we touch these surfaces and then our face, these germs can enter our body. Regular handwashing with soap
and water for at least 20 seconds effectively removes these viruses.
In healthcare settings, hand hygiene is even more critical, as detailed in the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Hand Hygiene Compendium, a primary guideline of evidence-based infection prevention strategies in healthcare. Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a significant threat to patient safety, and proper hand hygiene is essential in preventing these infections.
Spreading awareness
Public awareness of hand hygiene remains a challenge. As a community of healthcare epidemiologists, SHEA advocates for increased public education, particularly during cold and flu season. We must all remember to wash our hands before eating, after using the restroom, after coughing or sneezing,
and after touching potentially contaminated surfaces. Additionally, covering one’s mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, getting vaccinated, staying home when ill, ensuring adequate ventilation indoors, and masking can help reduce virus spread.
Hand hygiene is not just a personal responsibility but a public health imperative. Let’s commit to making hand hygiene a habit, not just during cold and flu season but year-round.
WRITTEN BY Thomas R. Talbot, M.D., M.P.H. President, The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)
Dangerous, Deadly — and Preventable: It’s Time to Get Vaccinated Against the Flu
Looking out for your family’s health is a full-time job, especially during influenza (flu) season.
The flu isn’t just a “bad cold” and it’s not only a danger to the elderly. While the flu is most dangerous to some groups, including people 65 years of age and older, children under 5 years of age, pregnant women, and people with some health conditions, anyone can get and die from the flu – even people who are otherwise healthy.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that at least 197 children died from flu-related complications during the 2023-2024 flu season,” noted Dr. Luis Romano, U.S. medical affairs lead at GSK. “A worrying statistic is that in past seasons, about 80% of the children who died from the flu had not been vaccinated.”
We possess a powerful tool to fight this disease: flu vaccines. The CDC estimates that last flu season, influenza vaccination prevented more than 6 million people from becoming ill. And yet flu vaccination rates in children have dropped alarmingly in recent years, from 62% in the 2019-20 season to just 53% this past flu season.
Impact of the flu
Dr. Romano says there are several factors contributing to declining vaccination rates. “Misinformation and disinformation about vaccines, challenges in accessing healthcare, vaccine fatigue, and a general decline in public trust in vaccines have all contributed to this drop,” he explained. “But lower vaccination rates leave children more vulnerable to flu and other preventable diseases.”
Influenza is a very contagious disease, and people can spread the flu one day before they have any symptoms and up to 7 days after symptoms start. That means everyone in your home is
potentially at risk, which is especially concerning for those older than 65 years of age, pregnant women, children younger than 5 years of age, and people with certain health conditions. These groups often have more severe cases of influenza and worse outcomes. A “normal” case of the flu can last a week or longer and cause symptoms including fever and chills, cough, sore throat, body aches, fatigue, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea in children.
Even a mild case of the flu disrupts your life. It means days off from school and work, potential loss of income, higher healthcare costs, and the risk of spreading the disease. Symptoms can persist for up to two weeks in some cases, which can put a strain on any family, especially if the disease ripples through the household in stages.
There’s a very simple solution to help avoid these risks: vaccination.
Getting
vaccinated
Help to protect everyone six months and older in your family by making sure to prioritize flu vaccination this year. The CDC recommends that most people
be vaccinated by the end of October each year, and keep in mind that some children may require two doses at least 4 weeks apart. If you miss that deadline, it’s still worth getting vaccinated because typically, flu season doesn’t peak until February and can continue circulating until May.
Vaccination is quick and easy, and can be done at neighborhood pharmacies or doctors’ offices. Flu vaccines cannot give you the flu. Flu shots are made with viruses that have either been killed (inactivated) or weakened (attenuated) and are therefore not infectious. Some flu vaccines are made with parts of the flu virus, which are unable to cause the flu.
Declining flu vaccination rates endanger not just your family, but everyone’s family. “When more people get vaccinated, it helps prevent the spread of the flu to those who are most at risk,” Dr. Romano noted. “Vaccination is not just about individual protection; it’s about safeguarding the health of our entire community.”
Written by Jeff Somers
WITH Dr.
U.S. Medical Affairs Lead, GSK To learn more about the flu and how you can help to prevent it, visit the CDC’s “About Flu” page:
