vaccination

Posted on Multiple Sclerosis

Pioneering a Vaccine to Prevent Multiple Sclerosis and Other EBV-Related Diseases

Fibromyalgia may worsen opioid addiction, study finds

In a groundbreaking step toward combating serious illnesses linked to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a spin-off from Helmholtz Munich called EBViously officially launched on 11 November 2024. The company is on a mission to develop a vaccine that could prevent a wide range of diseases, including infectious mononucleosis, certain cancers, chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and, most notably, multiple sclerosis (MS)—a devastating autoimmune disease of the nervous system.

Why Target EBV?

Epstein-Barr virus, part of the herpes virus family, is one of the most common viruses in the world, with an estimated 90% of the global population infected. While infections during early childhood are usually mild, later infections can lead to mononucleosis (“mono”) and set the stage for long-term complications like ME/CFS and MS.

Recent research has identified EBV as the leading risk factor for MS. In this condition, the immune system mistakenly attacks the nervous system, causing symptoms like fatigue, vision problems, and mobility issues. By preventing EBV infections, EBViously’s vaccine has the potential to dramatically reduce the risk of developing MS.

An Innovative Vaccine

EBViously’s vaccine candidate, EBV-001, is built on cutting-edge technology using virus-like particles (VLPs). These particles mimic the Epstein-Barr virus’s structure but contain no viral genetic material, making them non-infectious. This design “tricks” the immune system into launching a defense against EBV without exposing the body to the actual virus.

Preclinical studies in animal models have shown highly promising results, with the vaccine successfully triggering targeted immune responses. According to Prof. Wolfgang Hammerschmidt of Helmholtz Munich, “Our approach pulls the virus’s teeth while preserving its protein combinations, ensuring the immune system is well-prepared to combat EBV.”

Hope for MS and Beyond

The vaccine’s benefits could go far beyond protecting against mono. By stopping EBV infections in their tracks, the vaccine could also help prevent secondary diseases like ME/CFS, reduce the risk of EBV-associated cancers (including lymphomas), and even protect transplant patients from post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease. Most significantly, it could lower the risk of developing multiple sclerosis, offering hope to millions who live with or are at risk of this chronic condition.

Fast-Tracking Clinical Trials

With approximately 12 million euros in funding so far, including support from the Helmholtz Validation Fund and DZIF, EBViously is pushing to bring its vaccine to clinical trials as quickly as possible. The vaccine is being developed and manufactured under stringent Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards in collaboration with prestigious partners like Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich and TUM University Hospital.

Dr. Sebastian Goy, CEO of EBViously, emphasizes the urgency of the mission: “The founding of EBViously is a major step toward accelerating the clinical development of EBV-001. We are optimistic that this vaccine will protect millions worldwide from serious diseases caused by EBV, including multiple sclerosis.”

A Vision for the Future

With plans to secure additional investors, EBViously is racing toward the goal of making EBV-001 a reality. If successful, this vaccine could not only transform the way we think about MS prevention but also mark a new era in the fight against EBV-related diseases.

For those at risk of MS and other debilitating conditions, EBViously represents more than a vaccine—it’s a symbol of hope for a healthier, brighter future.

Posted on Multiple Sclerosis

Great news for people with multiple sclerosis – the COVID-19 vaccine is not associated with an increased risk of relapse.

Researchers identified immune cells as a potential key factor for protection against MS disease

“People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at higher risk of severe coronavirus infection. However, there has been concern about potential relapse after vaccination. A recent study discovered that people with MS may not face a greater risk of relapse after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. This study was published in the online issue of Neurology®,

“People with MS face a higher risk of severe COVID infection due to their level of motor disability or exposure to treatments that suppress their immune systems,” said study author Xavier Moisset, MD, PhD, of Clermont Auvergne University in Clermont-Ferrand, France. “Some previous studies have shown relapses after vaccination, causing some people to skip the recommended booster doses. The good news is that our study found no increased risk of relapse after COVID-19 vaccination for nearly all participants.”

Researchers discovered a small increase in relapse risk after a booster dose for patients with high MS activity. This was particularly evident in individuals who experienced at least two relapses in the previous two years, especially those who were not taking any MS medications.

The study included 124,545 individuals with MS in France. They had been living with MS for an average of 14 years and were monitored for 45 days after receiving the vaccine. This period was chosen because potential vaccine-induced relapses typically occur within 28 days after vaccination.

During the study, 102,524 individuals, representing 82% of the participants, received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Among them, 95% completed the full vaccination regimen by receiving a second dose, and 59% received an additional booster dose.

In the 45 days following vaccination, researchers examined relapses that required treatment with high-dose corticosteroids.

“After adjusting for other factors that could affect the likelihood of a relapse, such as the time of year and the effect of disease-modifying therapy, researchers found that COVID-19 vaccination did not increase the risk of severe relapse. These results remained consistent after each dose.”

To confirm the findings, researchers compared people who had relapses with those who did not. Once again, they found no increased risk of vaccine exposure. Instead, they identified a slight decrease in relapse risk following vaccination.

“Our findings are reassuring: these vaccines can be used without any worry about the risk of relapse,” Moisset said. “The absence of such a risk is encouraging for people with MS. They may receive booster shots when needed, especially if booster shots are to be repeated in the future.”

“Moisset emphasized extra caution when considering booster vaccinations for patients with high inflammatory activity. It’s important for these patients to first receive disease-modifying treatment. Undertreated individuals and those with highly active disease showed a slightly increased risk after receiving the third vaccine dose. The risk was highest when both factors were combined.”

Leave a comment Posted on Autism

Are Vaccines Safe? From the POV of a New Dad




Hi, I’m Joe – a new dad and owner of KitsToys.co.uk.

I’m a new dad, and as a new dad, I’ve had quite a lot to learn quite quickly – I never really got involved with babies until now. One thing that struck me is that no matter what it is you’re doing if there’s a baby involved then there is someone out there to tell you that you’re doing it wrong!

An obvious example is vaccination. Most people are either unthinkingly neutral or genuinely are in support of immunisation. And In the UK, the NHS (National Health Service) has a vaccination schedule for newborns which includes about 13 vaccinations before the kid is much more than a year old.

The thing is, there is a pretty vocal contingent that insists that vaccines lead to all sorts of nasty complications – not just side effects and acute reactions, but life-altering conditions such as autism.

With so much conflicting information out there, what should one do?

I turned, as one does, to Google. Obviously, not the best source of medical information, but I did so anyway. If you try “are vaccines effective” then you end up with a pretty even split between for and against – the big, obvious thing is that the downside seems pretty huge compared to the benefits. I mean, who gets polio these days anyway?




It’s an easy trap to fall into – an action which elicits a negative consequence seems much more unpleasant than a negative result that comes about by itself. So, “vaccines lead to autism” is scarier than “not vaccinating leads to the spread of disease”.

So, I dug a little deeper. There are some familiar tropes used by critics of vaccination which are easy to see through – I’ve gone into a bit more detail in a series of posts on my web page.

But it turns out that there is if you can cut through it once you’re familiar with the details. For instance, a favourite trick of vaccine critics is to present an incomplete picture of the data or to misrepresent the data in some way. A good example is the use of graphs to show the precipitous decline in diseases before the introduction of the appropriate vaccine.

Often, these graphs demonstrate a decrease in the death rate associated with a disease, polio for instance. But it needs to be borne in mind that a vaccine isn’t a cure as such, nor a treatment for a condition – it works by preventing the disease from occurring in the first place.

Polio, for instance, can be treated quite successfully now using interventions such as negative pressure ventilation (commonly known as an iron lung) to aid the sufferer to breathe. Whereas before this would have lead to death, now it is possible to live through such an illness.

This sort of advance in medicine means that a chart showing death rate associated with a disease may well indicate a declining death rate, even if a vaccine isn’t available – but this is because death is prevented, not because the disease is less prevalent.

In contrast, if you look at a graph which charts incidence of the disease over time, you’ll see a strong correlation between the number of cases reported and the introduction of the vaccine.

Polio and Vaccinations

Polio and Vaccinations

(clipped from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/polio.html)

Just to give a picture of how effective vaccination is, I’ve drawn up this graphic with a few stats. It’s incredible to think that the incidence of a disease has been cut by 99.96% by the introduction of this medicine.

Hopefully, common sense like this will prevail eventually.




Vaccine Infographic

Vaccine Infographic

Leave a comment Posted on Patient Talk

Immunisation – A quarter of us don’t take every chance they get to protect themselves against disease




A quarter of Brits don’t take every chance they get to protect themselves against disease

A quarter of Brits don’t take every chance they get to protect themselves against disease

 

  • 23% do not believe that if vaccination uptake drops, disease outbreaks are likely to occur
  • More than a quarter (27%) would not take every opportunity to protect themselves against diseases through vaccination
  • Majority of Brits are unaware about how much time and money goes into the development of vaccinations

In 1803, British physician Edward Jenner devised a technique to prevent smallpox by injecting sufferers with the cowpox virus – it’s now 40 years since the last case was contracted and according to the World Health Organisation, only clean drinking water rivals vaccination in its ability to save lives.

Vaccination is a public health priority with a potential to save six million lives globally each year. Vaccines prevent illness and disability and can save public money. It is estimated, the societal value in the UK alone of the NHS immunisation program has been estimated at nearly £6.6bn per year.




But while the vast majority of the nation (88%) believe that prevention is better than cure, new research released today by global healthcare company GSK shows that more than a quarter (27%) of the public say they would not take every opportunity to protect themselves against diseases through vaccination.

And just under a quarter (23%) do not believe that if vaccination uptake drops, disease outbreaks are likely to occur. Vaccine development is a process that involves painstaking research, between 100-500 rigorous quality checks and lengthy approval processes before vaccines are available for public use. It takes up to 30 years to approve each vaccine and then up to a further 26 months to manufacture. The majority of the nation, however, appears to be unaware about how long it takes to create a vaccine with almost a quarter of those surveyed believing it takes only a month to manufacture a vaccine.

The nation understands the importance of good health, with about three quarters of Brits saying they would take every opportunity to protect themselves against diseases through vaccination and the same proportion of people willing to consider paying for a vaccine.




2 Comments Posted on Autism

Autism and Vaccination – what’s your take?

In 1998 Dr Andrew Wakefield published an article in the UK’s leading medical magazine “The Lancet” which argued that there was a connection between vaccination and autism.

Others argued the opposite and said there was no link between vaccinations and autism.

I thought it would be interesting to share with you some of the recent research on the subject of ASD and vaccines here.

But what I am really interested in is your views. There are two ways you can help. Firstly please take our pol on the subject which you can find here.

But it would be great if you could use the comments section below to share your experiences and views in more detail.

Please do bear in mind the sensitivity of the issue so we do ask for you to be charitable to others taking part in the discussions.

Thanks very much!


Vaccines and Autism
Source: Healthcare-Management-Degree.net