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‘Inflexible Thinking Style’ Behind Why Some People Won’t Accept Vaccines, Says New Research
An “inflexible thinking style” could explain why some people are hesitant about taking a vaccine, new research by the University of Hertfordshire has revealed. It is a finding that could have implications for public health policy, especially during pandemics.
Researchers from Herts conducted the first study evaluating the relationship between COVID-19 “vaccine hesitancy and cognitive flexibility.” Cognitive flexibility is how good people are at responding to changing situations and changing feedback, and especially when rules change. Inflexibility is generally described as the incapacity to adjust one’s behavior in response to changing circumstances, update one’s knowledge, and maintain optimum decision-making.
252 people took part in this explorative study which found that those with greater vaccine hesitancy persisted with the same erroneous responses during a computerized test of flexible thinking, even when they received direct feedback telling them that their responses were no longer correct. This response pattern is the hallmark of a cognitively inflexible thinking style.
GSK Answers Pfizer’s RSV Approval With Data Targeting Matching Nod in Younger Adults
Preliminary results from two trials showed that GSK’s respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine Arexvy has potential in younger adults with certain risk factors, potentially positioning the shot for a larger population.
The results come two days after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Pfizer’s respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine Abrysvo for adults ages 18 to 59 who are at an increased risk of developing lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD), making it the first RSV shot for adults of all ages who are at risk. The FDA has endorsed Arexvy for patients 60 and older and for those 50 to 59 who are at increased risk of severe disease.
In one of the new Arexvy trials, a single dose triggered robust immune responses in patients age 18 to 49 who are at increased risk for LRTD due to at least one underlying medical condition. The immune response in the 395 participants was non-inferior to that seen in a group of 417 individuals age 60 and older, allowing the trial to succeed on both of its primary endpoints.
Can COVID Vaccines Induce Mucosal Immunity? Two Studies Offer Conflicting Findings
Two studies published today in Science Translational Medicine differ on whether COVID-19 vaccine boosters can trigger an immune response in mucous cells in the nose and mouth — a longtime goal of vaccine researchers.
Despite the disparate findings, editorial writers say mucosal immunization could go further than current intramuscular COVID-19 vaccines by preventing infection altogether, disrupting viral transmission and the ability of the virus to evolve.
“To prevent infection by respiratory viruses and consequently limit virus circulation, vaccines need to promote mucosal immunity,” the researchers wrote, noting current vaccines’ ability to protect against severe disease but not infection. “Failure to achieve this allows for continued virus circulation with the risk for the emergence of new variants.”
Merck, Pfizer Lifted as CDC Backs Broader Use of Pneumococcal Vaccines
A panel of advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday recommended lowering the age for routine pneumococcal vaccination from 65 to 50 years of age, boosting the sales potential for multiple shots on the market or in development.
Committee members voted nearly unanimously to make the change, with the agency noting in a statement that it will allow for greater protection “at the age when risk of infection substantially increases.” Previous guidelines endorsed shots for adults at least 65 years of age, people with certain chronic health conditions, and kids under 5. Adults over the age of 65 and young children are at the highest risk of infection, according to the CDC.
The new recommendation could grow a lucrative market for vaccines that’s long been dominated by Pfizer’s Prevnar franchise, but now includes additional and emerging entrants designed to provide broader protection.
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Scripts for GLP-1, SGLT2 Drugs on the Rise in Type 1 Diabetes Patients
GLP-1 receptor agonist or SGLT2 inhibitor prescribing became more common for people with Type 1 diabetes in recent years, a nationwide cross-sectional analysis found.
From 2010 to 2023, the percentage of Type 1 diabetes patients prescribed an agent from one of these two classes increased from 0.7% to 8.3%, with the bulk of the increase driven by GLP-1 agonists, reported Hui Shao, M.D., Ph.D., of Emory University Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, and colleagues.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any SGLT2 inhibitor or GLP-1 receptor agonist for Type 1 diabetes, but their use in this patient population “may continue due to the significant weight management and cardiorenal benefits observed in people with and without type 2 diabetes,” they wrote in JAMA. “It is crucial to consider the off-label status of these medications and the associated safety concerns in the type 1 diabetes population before prescribing them,” Shao told MedPage Today, adding that he remains “concerned” since their safety “lacks comprehensive data” in Type 1 diabetes.
CDC Vaccine Advisers Recommend Second COVID Vaccine Dose for Seniors, Immune-Compromised
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisory group today recommended a second 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine dose, spaced 6 months apart, for people ages 65 and older and for people in younger age-groups who have moderate or severe immunocompromising conditions. The group also recommended an extra dose, three or more, in people with immunocompromising conditions, based on shared decision-making between patient and doctor.
The recommendation replaces a vaguer “additional doses” wording that the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices used in its advice over the summer for at-risk groups for the 2024-25 vaccines. The group made the change to simplify and standardize language used for its routine immunization schedules.
The three-part vote passed unanimously.
UK Regulator Tells Doctors to Watch out for Obesity Injection Misuse
The U.K.’s drug safety regulator is asking doctors to be alert for patients who may be misusing obesity injections, such as Wegovy. It follows reports of some people who are not obese becoming sick, after using the jabs for weight loss.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) stresses that the drugs are only meant for treating obesity and diabetes. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has backed the call, saying the drugs are “serious medicines” and not “for people to get a body beautiful picture for Instagram”.
While most side-effects are mild, some can be serious, says the MHRA.
Contrary to Perceptions, Vaccine Refusal Found to Be Lower for Black Patients Than White Patients
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the media widely reported that Black patients were more likely than white patients to refuse vaccines, including the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines.
A new study presented at this year’s American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston showed that self-identified non-white patients were less likely to demonstrate vaccine-hesitancy than the self-identified white patient group.
“We found some surprising results from our study, including that minority patients were less likely to demonstrate vaccine hesitancy,” says Albert Wu, M.D., lead author of the study. “Allergy and immunology patients may be immunocompromised and at higher risk for infections, so identifying vaccine-hesitant groups is essential to protecting these individuals and those at risk in the community. Our goal was to analyze patient characteristics and factors associated with influenza and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in a clinic in a diverse community.”
“We felt a significant portion of vaccine hesitant patients were influenced by a feeling of mistrust of authority,” says allergist Mary Lee-Wong, MD, senior author on the study and ACAAI member.
Dengue Is Spreading and Sanofi Is Pulling the US Market’s Only Vaccine. What’s Next?
Derek Wallace was in a dengue-focused intensive care unmet in Thailand in 2009 when he first saw the devastating impact of the disease up close, also known as “breakbone fever.” Facing a shortage of space, children shared beds while parents slept together on mattresses tucked below.
“That’s been the case for decades in some countries,” said Wallace, who was a clinical team leader for Sanofi’s dengue vaccine studies at the time and is now president of Takeda Pharmaceutical’s global vaccine business unit. “But what’s really important is that it’s getting worse. There’s 30 times more dengue than there was 50 years ago, and there’s eight times more dengue now than there was 20 years ago.”
“Dengue is moving, and we are starting to get a ton of locally acquired dengue fever cases in the U.S., specifically in Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Florida,” said Katelyn Jetelina, an epidemiologist and data scientist known for a popular newsletter. “And we expect this to continue increasing over time.”
Despite the rapid global spread, there is no specific treatment for dengue, and worldwide vaccine availability is spottly. Sanofi’s Dengvaxia is currently the only dengue vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. But the company is discontinuing the shot in the third quarter of 2026 “due to low global demand for this product,” a Sanofi spokesperson said via email.
