Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

12 INFECTION CONTROL Kentucky governor says he purposely exposed children to chickenpox By Alyssa Rege K entucky Gov. Matt Bevin said during a radio interview March 19 that he in- tentionally exposed his nine children to the chickenpox virus so they would contract the disease and gain immunity, according to the Courier-Journal. Three things to know: 1. Mr. Bevin told a radio station that each of his nine children, ages 5 to 16, have had chickenpox "on purpose." "They got the chickenpox on purpose because we found a neighbor that had it and I went and made sure every one of my kids was exposed to it, and they got it. They had it as children. They were miserable for a few days, and they all turned out fine," he said during the program. 2. During the interview, Mr. Bevin also said he opposes government intervention in mandating vaccines. "Why are we forcing kids to get [the chickenpox vaccine]? If you are worried about your child getting chickenpox or whatever else, vaccinate your child. ... But for some people, and for some parents, for some reason they choose otherwise. This is America. The federal government should not be forcing this upon people. They just shouldn't," he said. 3. Three medical experts who spoke with the Courier Journal said the practice of purposely infecting a child with chickenpox can be dangerous. The CDC also urges parents against holding "chickenpox parties," which some parents use to expose their children to the virus. n Delaying flu shots until October could prevent 22K illnesses, study finds By Mackenzie Bean F all is the best time to start vaccinat- ing people against the flu, accord- ing to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. For the study, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh (Pa.) School of Medicine ran computer models to compare flu likelihood in adults over age 65 vaccinated between August and May — the typical vaccination period — or during a compressed period from October to May. Researchers forecasted figures on flu cases, hospitalizations and deaths using CDC data from the 2013- 14 and 2014-15 flu seasons. e study found a compressed vaccina- tion period could save up to 258 lives and prevent up to 22,062 flu cases for normal and late flu seasons, compared to a typical vaccination period. However, if flu season peaks early, hundreds more adults would die during a compressed vaccination period. "ere's controversy in the public health community over whether influenza vaccination should happen as soon as the vaccine becomes available in August, or if it's better to wait until later in the fall," lead author Kenneth Smith, MD, professor of medicine and clinical and translational science at Pitt's School of Medicine and Pittsburgh-based UPMC physician, said in a news release. "What we've found is that it's a bal- ancing act, but if a clinician believes a patient will return for vaccination in the fall, then our analysis shows that it is best if they advise that patient to wait," he added. n NIH launches 1st clinical trial of universal flu vaccine By Anuja Vaidya T he National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, started the first clinical trial of a new universal influenza vaccine candidate. The experimental vaccine, known as H1ssF_3928, was developed to help the body respond to different flu subtypes by focusing on the aspects of the virus that remain mostly the same among various strains. The trial will enroll at least 53 adults, ranging from age 18 to 70. The first five participants, aged 18 to 40 years, will receive a single 20-microgram injection of the vaccine, while the remaining participants will receive two 60-microgram injections spaced 16 weeks apart. Participants will record their temperature and note down symptoms in a diary for one week after each injection. They will also provide blood samples at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md., at certain points. They will have 11 follow-up visits over 12 to 15 months. "Seasonal influenza is a perpetual public health challenge, and we continually face the possibility of an influenza pandemic resulting from the emergence and spread of novel influenza viruses," said NIAID Director Anthony Fauci, MD. "This Phase 1 clinical trial is a step forward in our efforts to develop a durable and broadly protective universal influenza vaccine." n

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