Unicef Cuts Cost of Vaccine That Protects Against 5 Diseases

The United Nations Children’s Fund has made a deal with six vaccine manufacturers that will cut in half the price of a shot that protects children against five diseases, the fund announced last week. The deal will mean three years’ worth of vaccine at an average price of 84 cents a dose; buyers currently pay about $1.84, according to Unicef. Unicef will buy about 450 million doses for 80 of the world’s poorest countries. Low- and middle-income countries purchasing vaccine for themselves can also qualify for the lower prices, Unicef said. The vaccine protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae Type B (known as Hib). Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, estimates that the shots will prevent more than five million deaths by the year 2020. In 2001, only one company made the so-called pentavalent vaccine. As more companies have started offering it, Unicef has forced them to compete by holding several rounds of bidding for large contracts and publishing all of the prices that were offered. Another advantage of an expanded market is that vaccine plants can develop sterility problems that force them to shut down for cleaning and repairs. Having multiple manufacturers ensures against shortages, which can be disastrous during epidemics. Measles shots and doses of vitamin A are among the chief reasons t the number of children who die before reaching age 5 has dropped sharply. The number was about 10 million a year 10 years ago; it is now approaching five million a year. But the diseases prevented by the pentavalent vaccine kill many of the youngest infants. Progress saving those lives has been slower. The Hib bacterium alone, for example, kills about 350,000 children a year. The pentavalent shot is typically given to each baby three times — at 6 weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks. Measles vaccine and vitamin A are usually not given until about 9 months.

Children 14 or Under Need Fewer H.P.V. Vaccine Doses

Children 11 to 14 years old need only two doses of the H.P.V. vaccine, not the previously recommended three doses, to protect against cervical cancer and other cancers caused by the human papillomavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday.

But teenagers and young adults who start the vaccinations later, at ages 15 through 26, should stick with the three-dose regimen, the disease centers said.

The new advice is based on a review of studies showing that two doses in the younger group “produced an immune response similar or higher than the response in young adults (aged 16 to 26 years) who received three doses,” the diseases centers said in a statement. The two doses should be given at least six months apart, the agency said.

The statement also noted that the two-dose schedule will make the process simpler and easier for families to complete and could increase the number of young teenagers who receive the vaccine. Despite the vaccine’s proven effectiveness, immunization rates have remained low.

H.P.V. is a group of more than 150 related viruses, according to the disease centers. They are spread by intimate, skin-to-skin contact, and by vaginal, oral and anal intercourse. H.P.V. is so common that nearly all sexually active people become infected at some point. In most people, the immune system destroys the virus. But in some, the infection lingers. Some viral strains cause genital warts, and others can cause cancers of the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis and back of the throat.

Every year, about 17,600 women and 9,300 men in the United States are affected by cancers caused by H.P.V., and about 180,000 women and 160,000 men develop genital warts caused by the viruses.

Vaccination is recommended for preteenagers and early teenagers, ideally before they become sexually active, because the vaccine works best if given before a person is exposed to H.P.V. But the disease centers still recommends vaccination for young people who have already had sex, saying that it should provide “at least some protection.”

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Pizza Harmful To Kids Health

On the days your kids eat pizza, they likely take in more calories, fat and sodium than on other days, a new study found.

On any given day in the United States in 2009-10, one in five young children and nearly one in four teens ate pizza for a meal or snack, researchers found.

"Given that pizza remains a highly prevalent part of children's diet, we need to make healthy pizza the norm," said study author Lisa Powell, a professor of health policy and administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

"Efforts by food producers and restaurants to improve the nutrient content of pizza, in particular by reducing its saturated fat and sodium [salt] content and increasing its whole-grain content, could have quite broad reach in terms of improving children's diets," Powell said.

Pizza's popularity comes largely from being tasty and inexpensive, but it's also because children have so many opportunities to eat it, said Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, an assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Ottawa in Canada.

"It's constantly being thrust at them," he said. "From school cafeterias to weekly pizza days in schools without cafeterias to birthday parties to group events to pizza night with the parents to pizza fund-raising -- it's difficult to escape," Freedhoff said.

10 best foods to boost your energy levels

in terms of eating for energy,i have seen the best food for you.if you feeling tired your can try my 10 best foods and see what works for you.they are as follows
-NUT: Raw nuts are packed with nutrients - and soaking them overnight gives even more of a health benefit.By eating raw, unsalted nuts your body is provided with a high-energy boost packed with nutrients and free from any form of processing.

If possible, try and soak your nuts overnight in water to activate them.

Activated nuts starts the germination or sprouting process, increasing the nutrient value of the nuts and allowing the body to more easily digest them.

-YOGURT:  Probiotics - good bacteria - in yogurt may indirectly help you fight fatigue. So add yogurt to cereal, breakfast or salads.Add a dollop of natural goat’s milk yogurt to your breakfast, favourite salad or on top of the next curry you make to get a great boost of calcium and huge dose of probiotics. 

Probiotics are the good bacteria found in yogurt with can help to facilitate changes in the microflora of the gut and enhance the body’s immune system. 

Probiotics help to keep your gut healthy, assisting in digestion, which in turn leads to you getting the most of the food you consume and helping to fight fatigue.

-SALMON: Salmon contains nutrients that help the body get the most energy from the other foods you eat

Salmon is packed with omega-3 fatty acids which have been found to help lower cholesterol, potentially reducing your risk of heart disease.

Not only is it great for the heart, salmon is high in protein, vitamin B6, niacin and riboflavin. 

Don’t worry if you don’t have a clue what these last few are. Basically, they help to convert food into energy - giving you a healthy wake up call when you think you are going to fall asleep at your desk.

-MUSHROOMS: One cup of mushrooms provides almost 50 per cent of your daily serving of iron - which is essential in transporting oxygen within the bloodstream. 

Without an efficient oxygen supply to our major organs, we can often feel fatigued and lethargic. 

Consuming mushrooms will boost the level of iron in your body, boosting the cells within the bloods ability to transport oxygen around our body and fuel our organs to function effectively.

-SPINACH: Spinach is extremely high in iron, magnesium and potassium. 

Magnesium plays a vital role in producing energy, and paired with potassium enables effective digestion in the stomach and the regulation of nerve and muscle function.

Add some fresh spinach to your favourite salad, or serve it wilted with some eggs for breakfast. 

If you think you have enough spinach, think again Just keep adding it!.

-PUMPKIN AND SUNFLOWER SEEDS: Snack on a quarter of a cup of pumpkin seeds and you will get about half the daily recommended amount of magnesium. 

Like in spinach, magnesium helps in bone, protein and fatty acid formation, helps to relax muscles and maintain adequate calcium levels.

-SWEET POTATOES: My favourite source of carbohydrate, sweet potatoes, contain iron, potassium, magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin D - all of which help to increase energy levels and stop your from feeling tired. 

Sweet potatoes are hugely versatile and you can enjoy them mashed, grilled, steamed, roasted, in a salad, by themselves or in a curry.

-WATER: Without water there would be no life. Sorry to sound so gloomy! 

But water is undeniably the most essential substance on earth and is essential for human to function on a daily basis. 

Water is needed to help carry nutrients and oxygen to cells, both of which if are in low supply can lead to fatigue and nausea. 

On average its recommended adult women have about eight cups of water per day and men approximately ten cups per day. 

One good way to ensure you are getting enough water into your diet is having a glass before every meal.

-FRESH,SEASONAL PRODUCE: I could happily talk for days and days about why people should eat seasonally: sustainability, cost, health, environment, nutrient value, flavour, colour… the list goes on. 

But when it comes to fighting fatigue, seasonal produce is at its maximum nutrient potential that it could possibly be. 'By eating in season you are getting the biggest reward from the produce and should feel more alert and awake after eating seasonal produce,

This refers to the total amount of nutrients that a vegetable could ever have. 

As the product is stored and transported - which happens when it is not in season - the nutrient potential rapidly decreases.

-EGGS: Gone are the days of limiting your intake to six eggs per week - I say eat eggs until the cows come home.

Eggs are the highest source of complete protein with eggs providing an impressive 30 per cent of your daily requirement. 

They are great to help after exercise to ensure your muscles can recover properly and your body feels fresh for the day ahead. 

My curried egg and walnut recipe combines the amazing protein benefits of eggs with the power of nuts. You could also add some extra spinach for some added energy.