Press Releases: National
February 13, 2002
Kaiser Permanente research: Staph vaccine cuts infection risk in half
Dialysis patients who received vaccine 57% more likely to avoid infection
OAKLAND, Calif. – In a study led by Kaiser Permanente researchers Henry Shinefield, M.D., and Steven Black, M.D., published in the February 14, 2002 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, an investigational vaccine showed 57% effectiveness against staphylococcus infections in dialysis patients.
"That's a significant response," says lead author Dr. Shinefield. "Staph is a major cause of infections, and dialysis patients are particularly at risk because of their already weakened immune systems."
Staph can cause serious illness and death among its victims. Bacteremia, one of the illnesses attributed to the staphylococcus aureus bacteria, is a particularly prominent cause of death and illness among kidney patients receiving dialysis.
"What remains to be seen," says co-author Dr. Black, "is whether the vaccine might be even more effective against staph infections in otherwise healthy people. If that's studied, we might find that someone requiring hospitalization for elective surgery could avoid serious complications of their surgery if they've received this vaccine."
The vaccine studied is the StaphVAX® vaccine. The clinical trial led by Drs. Black and Shinefield was a Phase III study of the investigational drug manufactured by Nabi, of Rockville, Maryland. Nabi funded the study. Co-authors with Drs. Black and Shinefield were Ali Fattom, PhD; Gary Horwith, MD; Scott Rasgon, MD; Juan Ordonez, MD; Hock Yeoh, MD; David Law, MD; John B. Robbin, MD; Rachel Schneerson, MD; Larry Muenz, PhD; and Robert Naso, PhD. Drs. Rasgon, Ordonez, Yeoh and Law are also with Kaiser Permanente.
Kaiser Permanente has research centers in eight regions around the United States. Publication of Kaiser Permanente investigators' work has appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the New England Journal of Medicine, Pediatrics, the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, and other peer-reviewed medical journals.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 8.6 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.
