The VP's extreme-conservative policies on the HPV vaccine needlessly risked Indiana children's lives. What he did unto them-among others-is something Christ himself rejected above all.

In 2015, in response to a parent's complaint about a letter that was sent to parents of schoolchildren informing them of the availability and merit of the HPV vaccine, Governor Pence asked Indiana public-health officials to make it clear that the HPV vaccine was "optional" and that parents could remove their names from the state registry that had identified their children as lagging behind on their immunizations. Pence, like his conservative supporters, believed in abstinence-only sex education. He reasoned, correctly, that if people didn't have sex before they were married, and didn't stray from their marriage, they would never contract a sexually transmitted disease. Unfortunately, this situation describes a very small percentage of U.S. residents, including those in Indiana. Pence didn't stop at gutting his state health department's letter. He also reprimanded the state health commissioner for speaking about the HPV vaccine at Indiana's National Coalition Conference, later requiring all public-health employees to submit their presentations about vaccines to his office for approval prior to any speaking engagement. Then he prohibited the release of a document by the Indiana Cancer Consortium that included information on cervical cancer, the only known cause of which is HPV. Mike Pence did everything that he could to make sure that Indiana's parents and schoolchildren knew as little as possible about the consequences of HPV infection and the availability of a vaccine to prevent it.

Daily Beast, April 15, 2017

The Changing Landscape of HIV Treatment

The infectious disease landscape has been evolving, largely due to advancements in treatment and technology. The CDC estimates that more than 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV. In the hepatitis C virus (HCV), between 130 and 150 million individuals worldwide have chronic HCV, of whom, approximately 700,000 will die each year from HCV-related liver diseases.   In part 1 of a 4-part exclusive interview with Specialty Pharmacy Times, Ron Nahass, MD, MHCM, FACP, FIDSA, discusses the impact of antiretrovirals and new blockbuster HCV drugs, challenges in the field, patient adherence, telehealth, and more.

Specialty Pharmacy Times, April 12, 2017

There is alarm from some doctors in the US that President Trump could usher in a new era of scepticism about vaccines, which save millions of lives around the world every year. An island in Washington state has some of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. Are parents there endangering lives?

BBC, April 11, 2017

Give schoolgirl cancer virus jab to boys too, say teachers: Fears lack of vaccinations will mean male cancers will soon outstrip those occurring in women

- HPV can cause cervical cancer in women and other cancers in men

- Campaigners say the vaccination programme is discriminatory 

- Public Health England reviewing whether to extend vaccination to boys

 

Schools should urge boys - and not just girls - to have a controversial vaccine to protect them from cancer, teachers said yesterday.  All teenage boys should be encouraged to have the vaccine to counteract a rise in cancers linked to the human papilloma virus, they demanded. HPV can cause cervical cancer in women and a wide range of other cancers in men, yet only girls are routinely vaccinated against it.

Daily Mail, April 11, 2017

FDA Grants Pediatric Indication for 2 HCV Drugs

The FDA approved new indications for sofosbuvir (Sovaldi, Gilead) and ledipasvir-sofosbuvir (Harvoni, Gilead) to treat hepatitis C virus in children from 12 to 17 years of age.These are the first direct-acting antiviral treatments approved for children and adolescents with HCV. DAA drugs reduce the amount of HCV in the body by preventing the virus from multiplying, and in most cases, they cure HCV. These approvals provide pediatric treatment options for six major genotypes of HCV. "The approvals of Sovaldi and Harvoni for pediatric patients will enable adolescents to finally benefit from interferon-free treatment for HCV infection," said Karen Murray, MD, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Seattle Children's Hospital. "These therapies address a significant unmet medical need and represent an important advance for HCV-infected adolescents."

Pharmacy Practice News, April 10, 2017

Homeless veterans experience a higher prevalence of HIV, hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus infection compared with non-homeless veterans, according to a retrospective analysis of VA data.  Veterans are disproportionately affected by HIV, HCV and HBV compared with the general public, and homeless veterans are at a particularly high risk for infection due to overlapping risk factors such as high rates of   mental health   and substance use disorders, according to   Amanda J. Noska, MD, MPH,   infectious disease physician at the Providence VA Medical Center in Providence, Rhode Island, and colleagues.

Helio, April 10, 2017

Over 20% of USA adults infected with high-risk HPV

About 1 in 5 U.S. adults under age 60 is infected with a "high-risk" strain of genital human papillomavirus (HPV) that increases the risk of cancer, according to a new report. Of 37 known HPV types, fourteen of these are known as high-risk strains because they are linked with an increased risk of certain cancers, including cancers of the cervix, vagina, vulva, anus, penis and throat. Overall, about 23 percent of the participants were infected with a high-risk strain of genital HPV, the report found. These strains were slightly more common in men than in women. About 25 percent of the men were infected with a high-risk strain of genital HPV,  Of 37 known HPV types, f with 20 percent of women.

Live Science, April 6, 2017

The Weekly News Roundup is produced by The Partnership for Male Youth and is released every Monday. 

For more information contact Dennis J. Barbour, JD. News Roundup editor and President/CEO of the Partnership, at [email protected].