by Gertrud U. Rey As discussed in my previous post, we first became aware of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the early 1980s. However, when did the virus actually emerge in humans, and where did it come from? There are two strains of HIV – HIV-1 and HIV-2. The vast majority of infections are caused …
by Gertrud U. Rey During the first few months of life, residual maternal antibodies that crossed the placenta during gestation and antibodies from breast milk protect infants from infection with various microbes. This type of immune protection is known as “passive immunity,” and differs from “active immunity,” which develops in an individual following vaccination or …
Although monkeypox cases continue to increase around the world, the average person is at low risk of becoming infected.
It was my great honor to be selected as the Richard R Ernst Lecturer for 2022. The aim of the Richard R. Ernst Lecture is to strengthen the relationship and understanding between the sciences, society, and politics and to raise awareness for the questions and challenges our global society is facing today and will face in the future.
From the authors of Paul Has Measles, Paul Stays Home, and Paul and the Mosquitos, comes Paul’s Uncle Doesn’t Want to Get Vaccinated, an illustrated book for children about vaccines and vaccine hesitancy. Uncle Henry doesn’t want to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Paul, Sophie, and Luis are afraid that he will get sick, so they show him …
It will be some time before a substantial fraction of the human population is immunized to prevent COVID-19. In the meantime, widespread use of face masks can have an impact on disease, a conclusion suggested by results of a trial carried out in Bangladesh. WHO would not recommend the use of face masks until June …
