• GSK supports seasonal flu immunization in Canada with domestic supply of Fluviral vaccine in advance of flu season

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario – GSK Canada (GlaxoSmithKline Inc.) announced it has started shipping doses of its trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine, Fluviral, to Canadian provinces in preparation for the 2025-26 flu season.

Fluviral is a trivalent vaccine for use in adults and children greater than 6 months of age to protect against influenza virus types A and B contained in the vaccine.

Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is estimated to cause over 12,000 hospitalizations and 3,500 deaths each year in Canada, ranking it among the 10 leading causes of death in the country.  According to Health Canada, annual vaccination is the most effective way to reduce the risk of flu and its potentially serious outcomes. The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends yearly vaccination for anyone aged six months or older who does not have contraindications, ideally before flu season starts.

Canada’s supply of Fluviral is being produced at our vaccines manufacturing facility in Ste-Foy, Quebec, which has been providing influenza vaccine for Canadians since 1997. The site currently produces the majority share of Canada’s seasonal influenza vaccine supply and, in the event of an influenza pandemic, is the primary supplier of the country’s pandemic flu vaccine.

Every year, different strains of flu circulate during the season. The World Health Organization (WHO) studies worldwide trends and recommends the strains to be included in the annual flu vaccine.

For egg-based influenza vaccines for the 2025-26 flu season in the Northern Hemisphere, the WHO has recommended including an A/Victoria/4897/2022 (H1N1) pdm09-like virus, an A/Croatia/10136RV/2023 (H3N2)-like virus and a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus. The supply of Fluviral for the 2025-26 season complies with these recommendations.

The post GSK begins shipping influenza vaccine doses for the 2025-26 flu season in Canada  appeared first on Caribbean News Global.

WHO updates list of essential medicines to include key cancer, diabetes treatments

Cristina Mitchell

8 Sep 2025

The Institute for Innovation in Biotechnology and Industry (IIBI) warned that the presence of bacteria resistant to common antibiotics in the country’s main rivers poses a serious health risk.

The institution recommended strengthening environmental monitoring, preventing self-medication, and improving wastewater treatment.

The discovery stems from research on the Ozama, Isabela, Yaque del Norte, and Yaque del Sur rivers, where microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, and Acinetobacter were detected

These bacteria, classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as priority pathogens due to their drug resistance, are associated with intestinal, urinary, respiratory, and skin infections.

The study was conducted by a team of young Dominican scientists from IIBI, in collaboration with Intec, Isfodosu, and ISA universities, led by Dr. Edian F. Franco and Professor Luis O. Maroto. 

The research employed whole-genome sequencing and metagenomics techniques, an approach that goes beyond conventional microbiology and allows for identifying not only which bacteria are present, but also their capabilities. This approach facilitates the tracking of contamination routes, the identification of critical discharges, and the guidance of mitigation actions.

When these organisms are dispersed in the environment, the chances of them reaching food, drinking water, or people who use rivers for bathing or work increase. 

In the case of infection, treatments may become more protracted, more expensive, and less effective.

The IIBI, an institution directed by engineer Osmar Olivo, calls on citizens to care for and rescue our water sources, remembering that river water is vital to the health, agricultural production, the economy, and daily life of all Dominicans.

Findings by area

In Ozama and Isabela, both in densely populated urban areas, resistant bacteria linked to domestic and industrial discharges were detected.

In Yaque del Norte, a route was traced from the springs to agricultural and urban areas, verifying how the presence of intestinal bacteria such as E. coli, Klebsiella, and Enterobacter increases.

In Yaque del Sur, sediments revealed DNA from Vibrio cholerae (cholera) and Salmonella (gastroenteritis), which poses a risk if the water is used without treatment.

A problem with daily impact

River water is crucial for cooking, washing, irrigating crops, and sustaining the economy. If antibiotics lose effectiveness, common health problems could turn into serious and costly illnesses.

The WHO warns that the misuse of antibiotics accelerates bacterial resistance. Therefore, the IIBI insists on the urgency of implementing immediate measures that include responsible antibiotic use, adequate wastewater treatment, and strengthening environmental monitoring.

Science and youth training

Along with the research leaders, undergraduate and graduate students from Intec, Isfodosu, and ISA participated. Among them were Irene Zulay Ortiz Confesor, Lázaro M. Acosta Rivera, Argeny Lorenzo Ovando, Camila Del Rosario, Albert Duarte, Víctor V. Calderón, and Roberto Bonnelly, among others.

The project, funded by the MESCYT–FONDOCyT (National Meteorological Service of the Basin of Cyclone and the Basin of Cyclone), has generated international publications, and complete monitoring data from the Yaque River will be released in the coming months.

The Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) has hailed the 24-hour mental health hotline as a vital service for the island’s most vulnerable students, urging the government to further expand youth-focused support amid a sharp rise in calls from young people.

Responding to new statistics from Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George showing that the hotline has handled more than 6 500 calls in just over a year, and that the number of people seeking mental health support has doubled since the pandemic, BUT President Rudy Lovell said the service highlights the growing demand for accessible mental health care.

“Particularly striking is the revelation that 40 per cent of these calls have come from children and teenagers,” Lovell told Barbados TODAY.

“This underscores what teachers and school leaders have long observed, that many of our young people are grappling with immense pressures, often silently. The hotline provides them with a safe, confidential space to reach out for help at any hour of the day or night.”

Lovell’s comments come against the backdrop of violent altercations at several schools over the last academic year, which included not only student-on-student violence, but also incidents of student-on-teacher aggression.

Schools cannot simply focus on academic achievement, as emotional and psychological support is needed to help nurture well-rounded citizens, he insisted.

Lovell said: “As educators, we recognise that academic success is inseparable from emotional and psychological well-being. We therefore applaud this initiative and encourage its continued strengthening, particularly in the areas of youth outreach, school partnerships, and awareness campaigns that destigmatise mental health challenges.

“The Barbados Union of Teachers pledges its support in working alongside health professionals, families, and communities to ensure that every child knows help is available and that no student feels alone in moments of crisis.” (SB)

The post BUT backs hotline in urgent call for youth mental health support appeared first on Barbados Today.

Santo Domingo.- The Institute for Innovation in Biotechnology and Industry (IIBI) has warned that antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in the Dominican Republic’s main rivers pose a serious threat to public health. The institute urges stronger environmental monitoring, improved wastewater treatment, and responsible use of antibiotics to mitigate risks.

Research conducted on the Ozama, Isabela, Yaque del Norte, and Yaque del Sur rivers detected bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, and Acinetobacter. These microorganisms, classified by the WHO as priority pathogens due to their drug resistance, are linked to intestinal, urinary, respiratory, and skin infections. The study, led by Dr. Edian F. Franco and Professor Luis O. Maroto, used whole-genome sequencing and metagenomics to identify bacterial presence and capabilities, allowing researchers to trace contamination sources and inform mitigation strategies.

Key findings revealed that Ozama and Isabela rivers, in densely populated urban areas, showed contamination from domestic and industrial discharges. Yaque del Norte exhibited rising intestinal bacteria levels along its course through agricultural and urban zones. In Yaque del Sur, sediment samples contained DNA from Vibrio cholerae and Salmonella, posing a risk if water is used untreated.

The IIBI stressed that river water is vital for cooking, washing, irrigation, and the economy, and that the spread of resistant bacteria could make common infections more severe, expensive, and difficult to treat. The research, conducted with students from INTEC, ISFODOSU, and ISA and funded by MESCYT–FONDOCyT, has already produced international publications, with further monitoring results forthcoming.