How About 6 Vaccines In One? FDA Approves New Vaccine From Sanofi, Merck
Would you rather have one shot or multiple shots? Unless you are an aichmophiliac, your answer would probably be one.
Aichmophilia is the obsessive interest in sharp or pointy objects. Not sharp like a hounds-tooth jacket, but sharp like knives, swords, and needles. For everyone who does not have aichmophilia, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just approved a combination “diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-hepatitis B-poliomyelitis-invasive haemophilus influenza type B disease” vaccine.
Vaxelis is a hexavalent vaccine, which is a heckuva lot of valents. The prefix hexa- means six. So, a hexapod is an insect with 6 legs. A hexagon is a shape with 6 sides. A a hexa-doughnut would be a doughnut with 6 of something.
A vaccine’s valence is the number of different types of antigens the vaccine contains. An antigen is something that stimulates your immune system to react. Usually, for a vaccine, it is either a part of or the entire body of a virus or bacteria. The vaccine essentially says, “hey, check this out immune system. This is what you want to be ready to defend against.” Therefore, a vaccine isn’t a mysterious concoction but a way of exposing you to a microorganism without you actually getting the disease.
Of course, this name wouldn’t quite flow off the tongue and the acronym DTPHPHIB spells absolutely nothing with far too many consonants. Therefore, Sanofi and Merck, who developed the vaccine in a joint-partnership, are calling this combination vaccine Vaxelis.
The valence of a vaccine then translates into the number of different types of microorganisms that the vaccine can protect you against. A monovalent vaccine has a single type of antigen and stimulates your immune system to ward off one type of microbe. A bivalent has two and protects against two. A trivalent vaccine like the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, has three. A quadrivalent has four. A pentavalent vaccine has five like the diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whole cell), hepatitis B (rDNA) and Haemophilus influenzae type B conjugate vaccine. This is often referred to as the DTP-HepB-Hib vaccine, which is much easier to say and sounds a bit like a cheer.
Therefore, the hexavalent Vaxelis is designed to offer protection against six diseases and significantly reduce the number of shots you need to get as a little kid. Thus, to be fully immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, polio, and invasive haemophilus influenza type B disease, you will only have to get three doses of Vaxelis between your turning 6 weeks and turning 5 years old. If you are already older than 5 and have been through all the traditional shots, sorry. If you are going to drift past the 6 week to 5 years old age range into old age before 2020, you are also out of luck. Sanofi and Merck won’t be able to get their production lines in place to offer the vaccine widely until at earliest 2020.
Read more via Forbes
Janet Jackson is accused of removing a monument to her brother Michael from his childhood home for a video shoot and replacing it with a white board
- The stone tribute was erected outside Jackson’s childhood home after his death
- It disappeared last October and police said at the time that the family had it
- But a year later the huge monument has been replaced by a white board
A giant Michael Jackson monument which was mysteriously taken from his childhood home has been replaced with a white board.
Neighbours in Gary, Indiana, accused his sister Janet of removing the impressive plaque, although the family later claimed that it had been taken down temporarily and would be put back soon.
But a year on and there’s no sign of the huge plaque but instead a paper message board has appeared in its place, hanging on the railings.
The monument disappeared at the end of October last year and eagle-eyed locals said it was the same time as Janet came into town for her US tour – she was playing in nearby Chicago and visited the home the next day.
Gary Police Lt. Thomas Pawlak said at the time: ‘I guess it was taken down to do a video shoot. They are planning to do some landscaping in the spring. Once they are done, they’ll bring it back.’
Now tourists are complaining about the missing plaque and accusing the family of theft. Claudia T on TripAdvisor wrote: ‘Sad that the plaque was removed from front yard by family. They should put it back!!’
Another, called Dialjo, was furious that the family had taken the most impressive thing about the house, saying: ‘There is really nothing to see but a gated house. There are a few plaques and a place to leave a message on a white-board. Bring your own marker – the one their (sic) is dry.’
The stone was a mammoth epitaph to the King of Pop and paid its respects to the singer on one side, engraved with the words ‘Never Can Say Good Bye’.
The other side was adorned with pictures of Michael through the ages and a biography.
Now the only sign that the house ever belonged to the Jacksons is a plaque in the pathway which says ‘In Loving Memory of Michael J Jackson – You Gave Us A Lifetime of Love’ from all the Jackson family.
The other side was adorned with pictures of Michael through the ages and a biography.
Now the only sign that the house ever belonged to the Jacksons is a plaque in the pathway which says ‘In Loving Memory of Michael J Jackson – You Gave Us A Lifetime of Love’ from all the Jackson family.
The nine Jackson brothers and sisters, plus mum Katherine and dad Joe, lived at 2300 Jackson Street, all crammed into the two-bed house. Michael lived there until he was five years old.
One neighbor posted at the time of it going missing: ‘Just recently I noticed that the MJ memorial in the front yard has been removed.
‘To my knowledge, there has been no mention of where it went. It actually coincided with Janet’s time in the area performing in Chicago. I’m sure she might be able to shed some light on this. I’d be more than open to hear from her.’
Article via DailyMailUK
When to watch the Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse in January
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – Stargazers rejoice — you won’t want to miss this upcoming event that’s poised to be one for the books!
On Jan. 20 and Jan. 21, you’ll get a chance to see both a total lunar eclipse and the first supermoon of the year simultaneously!
It will be visible in the skies of all North of America, South America, plus part of Europe and Africa.
A total lunar eclipse happens when the moon and sun are on opposite sides of the earth. As the moon travels through Earth’s shadow, the moon will appear to have an orange tint, which is why it’s called a “blood moon,” according to Space.com.
Some are actually calling it a “super blood wolf moon” because lunar eclipses can occur only during a full moon and the first full moon in January is also known as a “wolf moon,” according to CNN.
The January lunar eclipse will occur when the moon reaches the part of its orbit where it is closest to Earth, also known as the perigee.
This means the moon will appear bigger, thus the name “supermoon.”
NASA says the January lunar eclipse will last about an hour.
For those of you in Louisiana, you’ll see the eclipse reach totality — the point at which it appears completely orange/rusty — from 10:41 p.m. to 11:43 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 20.
If you’re thinking of catching the next one, mark your calendars — the next total lunar eclipse is predicted for May 26, 2021.
Article via cbs17
‘Sesame Street’ Did Grover Drop the F-Bomb?!
Grover may have taken his “blue” schtick a little too far — because it sounds like the muppet may have dropped an f-bomb on “Sesame Street.”
… or maybe he didn’t.
IT’S LIKE THE BLUE OR WHITE DRESS DEBATE FOR YOUR EARS!!
Here’s the deal, Grover was talking with another muppet about cameras during a recent episode … when he made a very excited comment.
Some people think he said, “Move the camera, yes, yes, that sounds like an excellent idea.”
Others think he said, “Yes, yes, that’s a f*cking excellent idea.”
So, is Grover’s mouth dirtier than Oscar the Grouch‘s trash can? Or are people with dirty minds just hearing what they WANT to hear, instead of what Grover actually said?
It’s just like the “Yanny” vs. “Laurel” debate all over again … except this time puppets and kids are involved.
Article via TMZ
Alleged victim of Kevin Spacey sexual assault filmed part of incident
The sexual assault allegation of a minor allegation against Kevin Spacey first came about one year ago in October 2017. Watch Lovelyti’s video below: Kevin Spacey RUNS ?♂️ out the closet to Deflect From Allegations+ Netflix cancels ‘House of Cards’
Transformer explosion causes chaos in New York City
The explosion at a power plant in Queens, New York, caused the sky to light up a turquoise blue hue, knocked power out in the area and grounded flights at LaGuardia Airport.
Trump Threatens to Close Border if Congress Won’t Fund Wall
WASHINGTON — On the seventh day of a partial government shutdown, President Trump threatened on Friday to close the southern border and cut off aid to Central America if Congress refuses to fund a wall.
“We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with,” Mr. Trump tweeted Friday. “Hard to believe there was a Congress & President who would approve!”
“We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with,” Mr. Trump tweeted Friday. “Hard to believe there was a Congress & President who would approve!”
Mr. Trump escalated his threats as up to 800,000 government workers were left in limbo and with Congress not set to take up the issue again until after the new year. “At this point, it looks like we could be in for a very long-term shutdown,” Representative Mark Meadows, Republican of North Carolina and a close ally of Mr. Trump’s, told CNN.
Democrats stood firm against agreeing to funding for a border wall, according to a spokesman for Representative Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California and the incoming House speaker. “Democrats are united against the President’s immoral, ineffective and expensive wall, the wall that he specifically promised that Mexico would pay for,” the spokesman, Drew Hammill, said in a statement. Mr. Hammill also noted that the White House has made no formal outreach to Ms. Pelosi since Dec. 11, when Ms. Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the minority leader, met with the president at the White House.
Mr. Trump also reiterated his threat on Twitter on Friday to cut off aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador as punishment to countries he claimed “are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money.”
Migrants have been fleeing Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, choosing to join caravans and confront Mr. Trump’s threats to prevent them from crossing the border over the dangers of life at home.
Mr. Trump has made threats to shut down the border completely before. Last month, Mr. Trump said he would close the border “permanently” if Mexico refused to send asylum seekers back to their native countries.
His latest warning comes as Democrats are preparing to take control of the House of Representatives and have shown no sign of caving on his demands for $5 billion for a border wall. Democrats are considering three different ways to reopen the government, none of which include money for Mr. Trump’s proposed wall, his signature campaign promise.
In a series of tweets on Friday morning, Mr. Trump also complained that the North American Free Trade Agreement cost the United States so much money “that I would consider closing the Southern Border a ‘profit making operation.’”
In another sign that the White House sees no end to the shutdown in sight, Mick Mulvaney, the budget director who is set to take over as acting White House chief of staff in the new year, said on “Fox & Friends” on Friday that Mr. Trump would remain in Washington through New Year’s Eve.
Mr. Trump, who had been scheduled to spend a 16-day stretch over the holidays at his private club in Florida, has postponed the trip because of the shutdown. His wife, Melania Trump, left on Thursday for the Palm Beach club, Mar-a-Lago, a spokeswoman said.
When asked about Mr. Trump’s threat to close the border entirely, Mr. Mulvaney said that “what the president is trying to do, and rightly so, is shed some light on what’s happening here.”
Mr. Mulvaney also sought to divide Democrats, indicating that while he believed Mr. Schumer might be willing to come to a compromise on wall funding, “the more we’re hearing this week is that it’s Nancy Pelosi who is preventing that from happening.”
Article via NYTimes
T.I.’s Stepdaughter Zonnique Buys Her First House
Zonnique Pullins shows off the keys to her first house.
We’ve seen Zonnique Pullins grow up before our very eyes as a featured member of T.I. and Tiny’s reality show. As the on-again-off-again couple works through their differences, they’ve always been there for their children. T.I. may not be Zonnique’s biological father but he treats her as if she were, sending so much love her way. As she continues to grow up and expand her own business, Zonnique has purchased her first-ever house today, which Tiny made sure to document on social media.
Much of Tiny and T.I.’s life is shared with their fans on TV but Zonnique’s appearances have become more and more sparse as of late. She’s got her own responsibilities now and she’s just added one more to her plate. Pullins is a first-time homeowner after she purchased her first house today. Tiny shared a photo of her daughter with the realtor as she happily held onto the keys to the front door. Of course, it was an emotional moment for Tiny as she wrote, “Super proud of My 1st. she bought her first house today!! Congratulations my beauty Queen… Your mama loves u lady!”
Congratulations to Zonnique for buying her first house. Maybe she’ll have her own reality show someday.
Article via HotNewHipHop
Check out Lovleyti’s video:
Tiny’s Daughter Zonnique Says She Regrets Eye Color Surgery+ She May Go Blind
Instagram assures users horizontal feed change was just a test
Instagram head Adam Mosseri took to Twitter Thursday to reassure users alarmed by an unannounced change in the apps’ interface that the shift from a vertical scroll to a horizontal swipe was just a test that accidentally rolled out widely.
Why it matters: There have been reports that Instagram has been testing the new design for months, presumably to foster deeper user engagement with content and less “mindless scrolling” between posts.Show less
What they’re saying: “This was supposed to be a very small test but we went broader than we anticipated…Should already be rolled back,” Mosseri said on Twitter.
The big picture: Mindless scrolling between posts was a big problem for Instagram’s parent company Facebook, and was something executives told investors repeatedly that they wanted to fix.
- To do so, Facebook changed the type of content it would algorithmically surface in the feed to include fewer posts from brands and media companies, and more from friends and family.
- Instagram seems to be trying a different approach: Swiping requires a more deliberate thumb gesture than scrolling.
Between the lines: Some users complained about the adjustment on social media, arguing that it made the functionality difficult to understand and that the “swipe” function between posts was not preferable to scrolling.
Yes, but: Users frequently complain about app redesigns at first before they adjust to changes. There was an uproar in 2015 when Instagram updated the app so that posts were no longer chronological, but rather algorithmically surfaced in the feed.
Be smart: With most redesigns, users do eventually come around. But we’ve seen with Snapchat’s redesign earlier this year how that effort can go very wrong, and alienate users who feel that the changes go too far.
Article via Axios
Ariana Grande’s Comments Have Furious Fans Accusing Her of Blackfishing
Needless to say, determining what and who is Black will have us drawing and redrawing the line all day. With that being said, are those with Black ancestry allowed to embrace their roots and “blackfish”?