Washington U is working on a vaccine

[stella9]

for norovirus which is the catchall category of all stomach
viruses. For the first time scientists at the University
have grown the norovirus in the labrotatory. This will help them
to alter or disable it enough to make it weak to serve as vaccines.
Previous efforts to grow noroviruses in the lab have been
unsuccessful so this is really a great thing. Would it be great
to have stomach virus vaccine? I would be the first to get
it. Would life be great if there was no stomach virus?





Stella9

[jennyleigh1975]

I have heard something about this somewhere else, or maybe I read it somewhere, cant remember. How wonderful that would be!!!!

[roxi27]

Is this really true? You have made my night! I have never
heard anything like that before. I wonder how long it will be
till it is available. Probably not for years. But if it did
happen, I would be tailgating in the doctor's parking lot the night
before. LOL. Carrie

[alliecat]

God, that would be awesome. The only crappy thing is that we have to continue to wait years for it to actually be okay'd for the market. [img]smileys/smilies_40.gif[/img]





xoxo


Allie

[guineaash]

I really hope they get it to work and that they get it okayed soon. It'd be wonderful if it could be on the market before I had children. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!![img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]

[auggiedoggie12]

OMG no more stomach virus?! That would be so nice.


Lauren

[uidactinide]

Wouldn't that be an answer to the prayers of every emet?



I just hope it wouldn't be like the flu shot, where you risk getting the flu just from getting the shot.

[roxi27]

I just went online and looked around about this. They are also
working on a vaccine for the Norwalk virus. They said it will be
available to the public in 5-10 years. That sounds like a long
time, but if you think of how long we have all been living with emet,
it's not that long to wait. Carrie

[charzysbebe]

YAYYYYY!!! So there is hope for a vaccine for the stomach bug???? WOO HOO!!! Can't wait!!!!!



Charlotte

[holly18]

i am really interested into going into medical research after university. It would be so cool if i could work on a new drug to make the lives of us emets better.

[rhinoseri]

That would be so awesome! I'm especially afraid of other people getting sick, because might make me sick, but if there was a vaccine, chances of getting it would be really low!

[skinnyme]

Wow, is this for real? That would be a God send, really and truly!! Just hope they dont go by the same criteria as a flu shot, hopefully even healthy people can get it. Wow there is hope after all. This thread just made me so happy. Whoever is doing the research about this... keep us posted. Pleeease!!!!!!!

[stella9]

From everything I have read, the hardest part has been accomplished by
the scientists and that is recreating the virus in the lab. Now
that they have created the virus in the lab, the technology to develop
vaccines has been in place for years. What holds up the process
is getting the vaccine approve by the FDA. The rotavirus vaccine
was approved in 1995 and was believed to be the absolute cure-all,
end-all for infant diarrhea. I was just getting ready to have my
two year daughter vaccinated in 1999 to learn that it was taken off the
market. Apparently the vaccine had some long lasting negative side
effects. It has not been replaced.



As the for norovirus (which Norwalk is classified as), a vaccine would
be fabulous in the reduction of missed school and work days.
According to all medical accounts, stomach virus is the second most
common viral illness and the number one reason for missed days of
school or work. Even though the common cold is more common (no
pun intended) than the stomach virus, the stomach virus incapacitates
people where most people function quite well with a
headcold. I know usually my kids don't even notice it when
they have a cold. Also when stomach virus outbreaks occur

schools, hospitals, cruise ships and hotels have to close down and disinfect. This is very very costly.



I don't think the virus vaccine would be like the flu vaccine in being
difficult to obtain. From what I have read the vaccine
would only have to be given once with, occasional boosters in order to
be effective. It would not need to be given on a year-by- year
basis, because the structure of the virus is not as volatile in
mutating as the influenze virus is.



This is the greatest news to me. It would be great to see stomach
virus go down in history books along with chicken pox, measles, mumps,
polio, hib, pertussis - all the other diseases we have
erradicated. Imgaine telling our childrens' children that there
once was a disease where people puked non-stop for a day or two -
however, the disease is no longer around. Wouldn't life be
grand. Now, when can we get it. 5-10 years is way too
long. My kids will be grown by then.



Stella9

[2jo2]

OMG I read about this once a while ago that they were "working on" a vaccine, but this is just the best news ever, that it may become a reality!!! Thanks for posting that, it made my day!!![img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]

[missbecca]

I'm not surprised by this. I read on another web page that our grandchildren will have no idea what this is. The stomach virus is a nasty sickness to deal with, people act like it's nothing. If there's vaccine against the flu, why not this? You can dehydrate from the stomach virus, so it's just as dangerous as influenza.


The article that you guys read, I think I read it and it came out in the year 2000. So, wouldn't that mean the vaccine will be out between now and 2010?

[donna1216]

THat's AWESOME, would it cover all stomach virus (eg rotavirus)? My kids had that and it was TERRIBLE!! I think that is the vaccine they pulled. Hopefully it will come out in FIVE years, my kids will still be kids!!

[stella9]

This vaccine is supposed to cover norovirus which is the main name for
all stomach virus including Norwalk Virus. In other words,
Norwalk virus IS a norovirus.



As for rotavirus, I agree it is awful. My son got it at two years
old. He vomitted for seven days!!!! He even vomitted in his
sleep without waking him up. It was awful. We know it was
rotavirus because his stool was cultured. The thing about
rotavirus is they usually get it before the age of 3 and once you get
it there is, I believe (don't quote me on this), a long immunity to
it. When adults get it they are typically only overcome with
diarrhea, not vomitting.



Stomach viruses are another story altogether. The immunity is
something like fourteen days and you can be infected repeatedly in even
a year's period. How the vaccine will provide immunity is a
mystery to me since having the disease itself provides non for future
infections. I am not going to dispute it because the scientists
are sure they can make one. I say - bring it on like yesterday.



Stella9

[chloe]

I can't believe the best vaccine could be available in the near future. I'd love to be immune to all stomach viruses. Life would be fear free - well almost![img]smileys/smilies_12.gif[/img]


Thanks for posting this - its made me feel more hopeful [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]after a crappy day![img]smileys/smilies_06.gif[/img]

[skinnyme]

I have this incredible urge to roll up my sleeve!! LOL

[moonshadow]

That would be amazing. I don't like jabs, I have been putting off my tetanus booster for 3 years - last time I had one, the jab itself was okay but I nearly passed out after, like it was a shock to the system. Not fun. (I managed to make it back into the doc's surgery where the nurse said she couldn't find my pulse lol!!!) But if this was available I'd be first in the queue!


I didn't know immunity to stomach virus only lasted 14 days. Urk! So even if you get it you can't relax? [img]smileys/smilies_03.gif[/img] Nooo! Bring on the handwash.


Even better, bring on the VACCINE!

[holly18]

lol do you reckon that they would stab me twice to be extra sure? lol


i have to get my tetanus updated, and i cant really put mine off anymore :S


rusty scalpals at college = bad


im not too bothered by needles, i know it doesnt hurt and it only lasts a second, but i still get really nervous before. I am more scared of the nerves i feel before than the actually injection if that makes sense lol

[donna1216]

I need my daughter to get the vaccine today!! [img]smileys/smilies_10.gif[/img]

[kellybean]

That is the best news I've heard in my life!!!


[img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]*does the happy dance!!*[img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]

[madisonsmom]

It cant get here soon enough!!! My 10 month old will be entering elementary school! HOW WONDERFUL[img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]





Debbie

[rileyl]

Thanks for sharing Stella!


I too have read about a norovirus vaccine in various stages of development. In light of the major impact a stomach virus can have, it's surprising that a vaccine has not been pushed before now. Sadly, it won't get here soon enough to protect my kids in their early years - they are ages 8 and 6 now- which breaks my heart. But they may be able to protect themselves against the virus when they are older. Frankly, a vaccine for the really nasty stomach viruses would all but cure my emet since catching a stomach virus is what I fear most for myself and my kids. I can handle the random motion sickness or I ate too much v*. It's the contagious ones that frighten me the most!!

[Galadriel]

Man that would totally RULE!! No more fear of catching a stomach bug, that would just be terrific. Only problem then would be food poisoning, but that is more easily controlled than a stomach virus.

[snowangel]

Awesome information, thanks Stella, you know we will all be first in line for THAT vacacination !