PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Vaccine website could increase uptake

2014-07-29
(Press-News.org) Giving parents access to a dedicated website on the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the most cost-effective way to increase uptake, say experts.

The study published in the British Journal of General Practice, recommends that a dedicated website be developed as part of guidelines on the MMR vaccine.

Led by Dr Swati Shourie from Monash University and Dr Sandy Tubeuf from the University of Leeds in the UK, the research is the first to look at the economics of providing information about the MMR vaccine. As well as reducing parents' concern about immunising their child, a website is shown to be more cost-effective than a leaflet or a face-to-face visit with a GP.

Dr Shourie said MMR vaccination uptake in Australia is good but a dedicated website could sustain these rates and could help improve parents' confidence in the vaccine, especially in rural areas where it can be difficult for families to access information.

"A website is a simple solution but one that could make a real difference to vaccination uptake. This is a much more convenient way for parents to get information they need about the safety of the MMR vaccine for their children," she said.

"Many countries, including Australia, are moving towards making medical information and records available online. We believe a dedicated website would complement eHealth, and help parents to make an informed decision."

In Australia the measles, mumps and rubella measles are all serious viral diseases, which still occur. Current guidelines recommend that children should be immunised with the MMR vaccine at 12 months of age. Children receive their second dose of a combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine at 18 months of age.

The research, which builds on previous studies that show web-based information has a positive effect on vaccine uptake, surveyed 179 parents. Those recruited to take part in the study were first-time parents whose children were offered the vaccine for the first time from GPs surgeries in the North of England.

Parents were split into three groups: those who visited their GP and were provided with logon details to an MMR website by post, those who visited their GP and given an information leaflet, or those who just had a GP appointment. Two questionnaires were given to parents, one at the start and a second to complete two weeks later to enable the researchers evaluate and compare each group.

The results showed that informing parents about the vaccine via a website was on average cheaper than a leaflet or a GP visit.

Dr Swati Shourie said the cost savings from a new website would be felt most by parents.

"If we are to sustain our high rates of MMR vaccine uptake, it's important that we make it as easy as possible for parents, especially those living in rural or remote areas to access accurate, up to date information," she said.

"At the moment parents rely on their GP to get information or parenting books and both these options cost money. Parents can search the Internet but there's so much information out there it can be confusing. A dedicated website on the MMR vaccine would solve this issue."

INFORMATION:


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Microscopic rowing -- without a cox

Microscopic rowing -- without a cox
2014-07-29
Many different types of cell, including sperm, bacteria and algae, propel themselves using whip-like appendages known as flagella. These protrusions, about one-hundredth of a millimetre long, function like tiny oars, helping cells move through fluid. Similar, shorter structures called cilia are found on the surfaces of many cells, where they perform roles such as moving liquids over the cell. Flagella and cilia are remarkably versatile: they transport mucus and expel pathogens from our airways, they establish the left-right asymmetry in developing vertebrate embryos, ...

Violent aftermath for the warriors at Alken Enge

Violent aftermath for the warriors at Alken Enge
2014-07-29
Denmark attracted international attention in 2012 when archaeological excavations revealed the bones of an entire army, whose warriors had been thrown into the bogs near the Alken Enge wetlands in East Jutland after losing a major engagement in the era around the birth of Christ. Work has continued in the area since then and archaeologists and experts from Aarhus University, Skanderborg Museum and Moesgaard Museum have now made sensational new findings. "We have found a wooden stick bearing the pelvic bones of four different men. In addition, we have unearthed bundles ...

New method provides researchers with efficient tool for tagging proteins

2014-07-29
Aarhus University researchers have developed an easier method to create DNA–protein conjugates. The method can potentially strengthen the work involved in diagnosing diseases. DNA linked to proteins – including antibodies – provides a strong partnership that can be used in diagnostic techniques, nanotechnology and other disciplines. DNA–protein conjugates – which tag proteins with DNA – can be used for purposes such as the sensitive detection and visualisation of biological material. The method also provides easier access to handling proteins in nanotechnology, where ...

New gadget helps the vision-impaired to read graphs

2014-07-29
People who are blind can now read more than just words, such as graphs and graphics, following the development of an affordable digital reading system by Curtin University researchers. Opening up new career paths and educational opportunities for people with vision impairment, the system combines a number of pattern recognition technologies into a single platform and, for the first time, allows mathematics and graphical material to be extracted and described without sighted intervention. Senior Lecturer Dr Iain Murray and PhD student Azadeh Nazemi of Curtin's Department ...

Congenital heart disease specialists develop nonsurgical technique to correct birth defects

2014-07-29
LOS ANGELES (July 28, 2014) – A new technique for repairing the most common cardiac birth defect in newborns, commonly referred to as "a hole in the heart," has been used successfully to mend the condition in six premature infants without subjecting the tiny patients to open-heart surgery. The technique for repairing the condition, patent ductus arteriosus, also called PDA, was published online by the peer-reviewed medical journal Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, the official journal of The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. The ...

Researchers uncover secrets of internal cell fine-tuning

2014-07-29
New research from scientists at the University of Kent has shown for the first time how the structures inside cells are regulated – a breakthrough that could have a major impact on cancer therapy development. A team from Kent's School of Biosciences uncovered the mechanism whereby the physical properties of the internal structures within cells – known as actin filaments – are 'fine-tuned' to undertake different functions. While some of these actin filaments appear to completely stable, providing a framework for the cell, others are more dynamic, allowing the cell to ...

Determine patient preferences by means of conjoint analysis

2014-07-29
The Conjoint Analysis (CA) method is in principle suitable to find out which preferences patients have regarding treatment goals. However, to widely use it in health economic evaluations, some (primarily methodological) issues still need to be clarified. This is the result of a pilot project by the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). Following the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), CA is the second method tested by the Institute together with external experts. Summarize outcome-specific results to an overall value In its health economic ...

Healthy lifestyle may buffer against stress-related cell aging, study says

2014-07-29
A new study from UC San Francisco is the first to show that while the impact of life's stressors accumulate overtime and accelerate cellular aging, these negative effects may be reduced by maintaining a healthy diet, exercising and sleeping well. "The study participants who exercised, slept well and ate well had less telomere shortening than the ones who didn't maintain healthy lifestyles, even when they had similar levels of stress," said lead author Eli Puterman, PhD, assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at UCSF. "It's very important that we promote ...

New route to identify drugs that can fight bacterial infections

2014-07-29
About 100 drugs already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for other purposes can also prevent the growth of certain bacterial pathogens inside human cells, including those that cause Legionnaires' disease, brucellosis, and Mediterranean spotted fever. The findings, published in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, demonstrate a new way of identifying non-antibiotic drugs that could one day help curb bacterial infections. A handful of drugs on the list inhibit the growth of at least three of the four bacterial ...

Study tracks worldwide spread of beneficial blood cell gene variant

2014-07-29
Two beneficial variants of a gene controlling red blood cell development have spread from Africa into nearly all human populations across the globe, according to a new study led by King's College London. The international team studied the genomes of world populations to look for the origin of changes in a key regulator gene which stimulate fetal haemoglobin production into adulthood. Fetal haemoglobin is normally found in fetuses and infants, but some patients with inherited blood disorders who are able to keep making it as adults experience milder symptoms of their condition. Sickle ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?

Pink skies

Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research

Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered

% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?

An app can change how you see yourself at work

NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals

New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China

Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea

New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea

Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes

Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others

Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke

Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition

Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life

Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy

Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming

Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly

Alcohol makes male flies sexy

TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income

Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression

Scientists unveil starfish-inspired wearable tech for heart monitoring

Footprints reveal prehistoric Scottish lagoons were stomping grounds for giant Jurassic dinosaurs

AI effectively predicts dementia risk in American Indian/Alaska Native elders

First guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis calls for changes in practice to improve outcomes

Existing international law can help secure peace and security in outer space, study shows

Pinning down the process of West Nile virus transmission

UTA-backed research tackles health challenges across ages

In pancreatic cancer, a race against time

[Press-News.org] Vaccine website could increase uptake