Vaccines Treatment Options in Boston, MA

The purpose of this study is to assess the safety of an experimental smallpox vaccine (MVA: Modified Vaccinia Ankara) and to compare the body's immune (system that fights disease) response to this vaccine. Participants will be assigned to 1 of 6 study groups. Each group will include 12 subjects, 10 will receive the modified smallpox vaccine and two will receive placebo, an inactive substance. The vaccine will be administered in 1 of 3 ways: under the skin; in the muscle; or between the muscle and the skin. Groups A and B will receive Dryvax® 6-15 months after the initial MVA vaccine; groups C, D, E, and F will receive Dryvax® 6 months after the initial MVA vaccine. Study procedures will include documenting side effects for 14 days after each vaccination, electrocardiogram (picture of the hearts activity) and blood samples. Participants will be involved in study related procedures for up to 18 months. Read Less

Rotavirus infection is a common pediatric illness and is the leading cause of severe acute gastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhea) in infants and young children. Since February of 2006, an oral vaccine to prevent rotavirus has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The company that makes the oral vaccine is Merck and Company. Since the FDA approval, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and that Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended the use of this oral vaccine in infants. A previous rotavirus oral vaccine, Rotashield, was removed from the market for concerns that it was causing an increase in a gastrointestinal (GI) disease called intussusception. However, the new rotavirus vaccine was studied by the manufacturer and was not found to cause an increase in the cases of intussusception. Intussusception is a disease in which a portion of the GI tract folds back on itself leading to GI tract obstruction or back-up. The manufacturer of the vaccine noted on package insert information that the vaccine was not studied, originally, in infants with a history of GI disorders or in infants who have had surgery on their abdomen. Currently, there is no information available in the scientific literature about the use of the oral rotavirus vaccine in infants with GI diseases or those who have had GI surgeries. The objective of the study is the assessment of safety and tolerability of the oral RotaTeq® vaccine for all infants participating in the study. All infants will be followed for clinical adverse events with active safety surveillance for the first 42 days after each dose and also monthly afterward for a total of 12 months from the first vaccination date. The secondary objective of the study is to quantify the immunologic response will occur in all of the infants in the study. Assessment of percentage of the number of infants who have a good immune response (three-fold rise in IgA titer or greater) to the complete rotavirus vaccine series (three oral vaccines in total) by a blood test to check the rotavirus immunoglobulin A (IgA) level in infants with short bowel syndrome compared to normal infants will occur. Infants, meeting eligibility criteria and whose parents have signed informed consent will have their study information collected. These infants will be tested for the presence of pre-vaccine anti-rotavirus antibody, IgA levels, as mentioned above. After the blood is obtained, participants will receive their first oral rotavirus vaccine dose between the ages of 6 weeks to 12 weeks of life per package insert information. This oral rotavirus vaccine may be administered with other routine pediatric vaccines at the participant primary care provider's office. The date of the rotavirus vaccine and lot number would be recorded on vaccine administration date cards. Most participants will have their vaccines given through the Infectious Disease clinic staff at the Children's Hospital of Michigan. Subsequent doses of the oral rotavirus vaccine will be given at a minimal interval between vaccines of four weeks. The third, and final vaccine dose must be given by 32 weeks of life. Any adverse reactions to the vaccine will be reported on the National Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and MedWatch forms. Finally, two weeks after the participants have had all three oral rotavirus vaccine doses, the second and final blood draw will take place for measuring the post-vaccine level of anti-rotavirus antibody, IgA. Participants in the study will be monitored by telephone contacts on days 7, 14, and 42 after each dose and within 48 to 72 hours of each dose of the rotavirus vaccine regarding any serious adverse events. Each infant will also be assessed in the clinical setting each week after a vaccine dose has been given. As above, parents of participants will be asked to fill out the vaccine report card and record the child's temperature, and any episodes of vomiting, diarrhea, blood in the stools or fussiness for the first seven days. The parents will also be asked to record any other events from day 8 through 42 after each vaccine is administered such as fever, ear infection, runny nose, etc. Afterward, parents will also have monthly phone call safety follow-ups during the 12 month period following the first vaccination. A Data Safety and Monitoring Board will oversee the study and it's progress and will have the ability to vote to stop the study. Read Less

This study will evaluate the safety and immune response of the Novartis Meningococcal ACWY conjugate vaccine when administered with routine infant vaccinations to healthy infants. Read Less

The main objective is to determine whether immune responses to Tdap (GlaxoSmithKline, Boostrix®) and HPV vaccine (Merck \& Co., Inc., Gardasil®) when administered concomitantly with MenACWY are comparable to responses elicited by these vaccines when given alone. Read Less

Vaccines may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of vaccine therapy in treating patients with metastatic breast cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Vaccines may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining these two treatments may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combining vaccine therapy with radiation therapy in treating patients who have stage II or stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer that has been completely removed in surgery. Read Less

The primary objective of this phase 3b study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of Novartis MenACWY conjugate vaccine when administered with routine infant vaccinations to healthy infants Read Less

Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of vaccine therapy in treating patients with metastatic prostate cancer. Vaccines may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Read Less

Randomized phase II trial to determine the effectiveness of vaccine therapy in treating patients who have advanced adenocarcinoma of the prostate (prostate cancer). Vaccines made from a person's prostate cancer cells may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells Read Less

RATIONALE: Vaccines made from a person's white blood cells and cancer cells may make the body build an effective immune response to kill cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of vaccine therapy in treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of Ad26.ENVA.01 and Ad35-ENV in low-risk for HIV-uninfected healthy adults administered in heterologous and homologous prime-boost regimens at different time intervals. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Vaccines may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Combining chemotherapy and radiation therapy with vaccine therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combining chemotherapy and radiation therapy with vaccine therapy in treating patients who have limited-stage small cell lung cancer. Read Less