World Communication

25/03/2023

Artefact discovered inside a tomb

22/03/2023

Suggestion for you: what’s next for Russia?

20/03/2023

Vaccine makers prep bird flu shot for humans 'just in case'; rich nations lock in supplies

Some of the world's leading makers of flu vaccines say they could make hundreds of millions of bird flu shots for humans within months if a new strain of avian influenza ever jumps across the species divide.

One current outbreak of avian flu known as H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b has killed record numbers of birds and infected mammals. Human cases, however, remain very rare, and global health officials have said the risk of transmission between humans is still [USN:L1N35227C TEXT:"low"].

NEW APPROACHES

In a pandemic, vaccine manufacturers would shift production of seasonal flu vaccines and instead make shots tailored to the new outbreak when needed. They already have the capacity to make hundreds of millions of doses.

Many of the potential pandemic shots are pre- approved by regulators, based on data from human trials showing the vaccines are safe and prompt an immune response, a process already used with seasonal flu vaccines. This means they might not require further human trials, even if they have to be tweaked to better match whichever strain does jump to humans. Data on how well the vaccines actually protect against infection would be gathered in real-time.

In all, the WHO said there are close to 20 licensed vaccines against the broader H5 strain of flu. Existing antiviral treatments for people already infected will also help mitigate the impact.

At the same time, moving to large-scale production of a more targeted shot could take months, the manufacturers said. Some potential shots use a traditional method, growing the virus used in the vaccines in chicken eggs over four to six months

"Creating the first dose is the easiest," said Raja Rajaram, head of global medical strategy at CSL Seqirus. "The hardest is manufacturing in large quantities."

Experts have long advocated for new approaches in developing vaccines, both for seasonal and pandemic flu. COVID proved the potential of mRNA technology to adapt more quickly to changing viruses because the vaccines use genetic information from the pathogen, rather than having to grow the virus itself.

Moderna's mRNA vaccine research actually began with pandemic flu, and was modified for COVID, said Raffael Nachbagauer, executive director of infectious diseases at Moderna.

The company plans to launch a small human trial of an mRNA pandemic flu vaccine tailored to the new avian influenza subtype in the first half of 2023, he said, adding Moderna could respond "very quickly" in an outbreak scenario. The results will be closely watched, as the data on Moderna's seasonal flu candidate was [USN:L1N34W2C0 TEXT:"mixed"].

Nachbagauer said the company was mindful of the equity issue needing to be addressed but has
no contracts yet.

"It would be premature to sign anything or commit to anything that we can't actually deliver on as of today," he said.

07/03/2023

Suggestion for you ❤️🙏🏾

28/02/2023

The United States is ratcheting up national security concerns about TikTok, mandating that all federal employees delete the Chinese-owned social media app from government-issued mobile phones. Other Western governments are pursuing similar bans, citing espionage fears.

So how serious is the threat? And should TikTok users who don’t work for the government be worried about the app, too? The answers depend somewhat on whom you ask, and how concerned you are in general about technology companies gathering and sharing personal data.

28/02/2023

The blue dragon river in Portugal.

26/02/2023

The ex-husband and former in-laws of 28-year-old Chinese model Abby Choi were arrested after parts of her dismembered body were found in a Hong Kong residence, police said on Saturday.

Hong Kong Police found Choi's legs in a refrigerator inside a house in Lung Mei Village in Tai Po District on Friday. The house is believed to have been rented by the victim's former father-in-law only a few weeks ago. Police also found tools used to dismember human bodies, including meat grinders and chainsaws, as well as the victim's ID, credit cards and other belongings in the home. The search for more of Choi's limbs, including her head and torso, continues. A total of four people, including Choi's ex-husband, former in-laws and brother-in-law, were arrested in connection with the murder, police said. The ex-husband, former father-in-law and his eldest son are being charged with murder, while her former mother-in-law faces one count of perverting the course of justice, police said on Sunday.

Authorities believe Choi had financial disputes with her ex-husband and his family involving tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars.

24/02/2023

NEW YORK (AP) — The alligator that was rescued from a chilly lake in New York City over the weekend had swallowed a bathtub stopper, authorities said.

The nearly 5-foot-long (1.5-meter-long) female alligator was lethargic and suffering from exposure to the cold when it was found in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Lake on Sunday, according to a spokesperson for the Bronx Zoo, where the gator is recovering. After being spotted by a park maintenance worker Sunday morning, the alligator was pulled from the lake and taken to Animal Care Centers of New York
City before it was brought to the Bronx Zoo.
Zoo officials said in a news release that the rescued alligator is too weak to eat on its own and is being tube-fed. At 15 pounds (6.8 kilos), the alligator is extremely emaciated, as an alligator of its length should weigh 30 to 35 pounds (13.6 to 15.9 kilos), they said.
X-Rays show that the alligator, estimated to be 5 to 6 years old, had ingested a 4-inch (10-centimeter) bathtub stopper, zoo officials said, noting that the animal is too weak for veterinarians to try to remove it.

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23/02/2023

British archaeologists have found a unique wooden phallus in the Roman fort that may have been a "sexual toy,

12/02/2023

Big Pharma In Outrage Over Tiger Woods' Latest Business Venture - He Fires Back With This!

USGA) - In an emotional 1-on-1 interview, one of the world’s most popular athletes reveals how he "wouldn't be here without CBD."

Woods appeared on Live TV again the next day, not to apologize, but to offer viewers.

"When I started this whole thing back in 2017, it really was just a part time passion project and a way for me to give back. After being given so much, I figured there was no better time to make Proper CBD Gummies available to everyone, as it can help thousands of people experience life pain-free and live much happier lives. I absolutely credit CBD for the longevity I've had out here on the PGA Tour."

01/02/2023

😞

25/01/2023

Monterey shooting #3

25/01/2023

Monterey shooting #2

25/01/2023

Monterey shooting #1

25/01/2023

Monteret Park Shooting 😢

25/01/2023

Russia’s Wagner short 🧐🧐🧐 letter

24/01/2023

🙏🏾🙏🏾

La dénonciation de l’accord qui lie les deux pays laisse « un mois » à la France pour retirer ses forces. « La France réadapte, en concertation avec ses partenaires, son dispositif au Sahel », a réagi le ministère français des affaires étrangères.

24/01/2023

Mood 🤣🤣🤣🤣