Japan could become one of the first countries in the world to end the HIV epidemic, says the president of Gilead Sciences Japan, Kennet Brysting. The idea for now could seem a little too ambitious, but it is not entirely unrealistic, given that the availability of medicines that can prevent transmission of HIV. Drugs are not the cure, but control over the spread of virus to the point where the disease is no longer a major public health threat.

What Is The Role Of Preventative HIV Medicines?

Gilead's have two key drugs, Truvada and lenacapavir. These two are playing a crucial role in prevention. Truvada is taken as a daily pill, while lenacapavir requires two injections per year. It can make the virus undetectable in infected individuals and prevent transmission to those who are not infected yet. In trials, lenacapavir showed 100% efficacy in preventing HIV infections. This is why it is describe as "almost a vaccine".

In 2024, Japan also approved Truvada for HIV prevention, but the country has yet to approve lenacapavir for the same. Until now, people in Japan had been importing generic versions of Truvada or purchasing it from clinics that source it from overseas.

HIV In Japan

Up until now, Japan reported around 25,000 HIV infections, whereas 669 new cases were reported in 2023. For seven consecutive years, the number of new infections remained under 1,000. The downward trend thus shows that the virus has been controlled, however, getting to zero new infections remains the ultimate goal.

Brysting too acknowledged that simply having effective drug is not enough. What is important is to have a proper implementation, access and healthcare support to make sure that these treatments are widely available and effective.

What Are The Challenges In Implementation?

The biggest challenges is testing rates. There is a need to increase testing rates. At this very moment, around 86% people infective with Japan have been tested, but the goal is to increase it up to 95%, with an ideal goal of 100%. Without widespread testing, many infected people may not even know that they are infected and it could transmit the virus.

Another measure issue is the cost of preventative medication. While Japan's health insurance covers treatments for diseases, it does not cover preventative drugs. Those who purchase Truvada for prevention, pay around $470 per month. Some clinics in Tokyo offer generic alternatives too, which is cheaper, but they are not ideal.

Better Healthcare Support

Brysting expressed concern that individuals importing medications might not be consulting doctors regularly, which is essential for monitoring HIV status and overall health. Truvada users need to be tested for HIV initially and every three months, along with screenings for other infections and kidney function checks. Without proper medical supervision, there is a risk of misuse and inadequate protection.

Gilead is in discussions with Japanese authorities to improve access and insurance coverage for Truvada, and progress is being made. Japan has shown efficiency in approving critical medicines, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic when Gilead’s remdesivir was approved in just three days.

What Is The Way Ahead?

Gilead at this moment is not only focused on HIV and hepatitis C, but also expanding into oncology with innovative treatments like CAR-T cell therapy, which strengthens a patient's immune system to fight cancer.

However, Japan’s strict approval processes can slow down drug availability. Phase 3 clinical trials often need to be conducted within the country, and Japan tends to approve medicines much later than other regions. For instance, Truvada was approved for prevention in Japan 12 years after the U.S. and nearly 20 years after its approval for treatment. inancial factors also play a role. The Japanese government adjusts drug prices annually, often reducing them, which can make long-term investment challenging for pharmaceutical companies.

Amid a rise in infectious diseases, particularly measles, a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that kindergarten vaccination rates declined during the 2025-26 school year.

The report also shows an increase in vaccine exemptions among children.

Kindergarten Vaccination Rates Decline

The CDC report showed that coverage for key childhood vaccines, including measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP), polio and varicella, decreased in more than half of US states.

• DTaP vaccine coverage: 92%
• MMR vaccine coverage: 92.4%
• Polio vaccine coverage: 92.4%

The CDC, in a statement, said the data showed a 0.1% decline in vaccination coverage among children entering kindergarten.

Further, the data showed that about 280,000 kindergartners attended school without documentation of completing the MMR vaccine series during the 2025-26 school year.

Vaccine Exemptions Rise

Exemptions from one or more vaccines among US kindergartners increased to 4.2% during the 2025-26 school year, up from 3.6% in the previous school year, the CDC said.

Exemptions rose in 41 states and Washington, D.C. Of these, 24 states reported exemption rates exceeding 5%. The number of kindergartners exempt from one or more vaccines was about 155,000.

Measles Cases Hit 35-Year High

The decline in vaccination rates comes amid continued debate over the Donald Trump administration's vaccine policies and controversial changes to childhood vaccination recommendations.

Importantly, the period has seen measles cases reach levels not seen in more than three decades, threatening the US's measles elimination status.

With 38 new outbreaks reported in 2026, there have been 2,566 confirmed measles cases reported in the US as of August 13.

In comparison, a total of 2,289 confirmed measles cases were reported in the US during the full year of 2025. There were 48 outbreaks reported in 2025.

Children Account for Nearly Half of Measles Cases

In 2026, nearly 20% of measles cases, or 497 cases, were reported among children under 5 years of age. Of these, 10% were hospitalized due to the highly infectious disease. The highest number of cases was reported among children aged 5 to 19 years, with 1,222 cases, or 48%, followed by adults aged over 20, with 835 cases, or 33%.

In total, 93% of measles cases occurred among people without vaccination, and 7% were hospitalized.

AAP Warns About Falling Vaccination Rates

According to public health officials, overall measles vaccination rates should remain above 95% to maintain herd immunity.

"When it comes to vaccination rates, however, anything less than achieving an A+ grade is not good enough. For some diseases like measles, even a small decrease in vaccination rates can lead to more outbreaks of disease because community immunity requires over 95% of susceptible individuals to be immunized," said Dr. Andrew Racine, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), in a statement.

He added, "This risk is real: The United States is experiencing a 35-year high for measles cases as federal officials continue to elevate misleading and disproven information about vaccines, inserting unnecessary fear and confusion into families’ decision-making. And we are seeing the results. More than a quarter of a million children started kindergarten last year without protection from the MMR vaccine."

Meanwhile, Trump signed an executive order last week calling for fewer childhood vaccinations by limiting the inoculation schedule to 11 immunizations. The order also recommended splitting the MMR vaccine into three shots taken at separate visits.

What began as what appeared to be an ordinary influenza infection turned into a medical emergency for an otherwise healthy eight-year-old girl in Aurora, Ontario.

Leanne Gorin developed fulminant myocarditis, a rare and severe form of heart inflammation triggered by influenza B, within just 48 hours of becoming ill.

She spent five weeks at SickKids Hospital and underwent multiple major procedures, including a 10-hour open-heart operation, before dying on July 23, a day after her eighth birthday.

Her mother, Ilona, told local media that Leanne had been a perfectly healthy child and initially showed few warning signs beyond a 40°C (104°F) fever.

“I had a perfectly healthy daughter,” she said, describing the complication as extraordinarily rare.

Leanne's case highlights the severity of myocarditis - a complication of influenza that parents may rarely hear about.

What Is Myocarditis?

In many cases, myocarditis can be mild or even go unnoticed. But in severe cases, inflammation can dramatically reduce the heart's ability to pump blood.

The most serious form is called fulminant myocarditis. It can cause rapid heart failure, dangerous abnormal heart rhythms and cardiogenic shock, where the heart can no longer pump enough blood to support the body's organs.

Also read: Alzheimer’s With AFib: Study Finds Unexpected Benefit Of Blood Thinners On Brain Function

How Can The Flu Affect The Heart?

Influenza primarily infects the respiratory system, but the infection can trigger ripple effects throughout the body.

Researchers believe myocarditis may occur through a combination of direct viral injury and an excessive or abnormal immune response to the infection. The resulting inflammation can damage heart muscle cells and interfere with the heart's functions.

Why Is Fulminant Myocarditis So Dangerous?

As the heart becomes inflamed and weakened, it may no longer pump enough blood to the brain, kidneys and other organs. Patients can develop very low blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms and severe heart failure. The condition can deteriorate pretty quickly.

In Leanne's case, her condition became critical within 48 hours. She eventually needed major cardiac surgery and prolonged hospitalisation.

Also read: Healthy BMI But Belly Fat? Why Your Waist May Predict Heart Risk Better

What Symptoms Should Parents Watch For?

The tricky part is that early symptoms can overlap with influenza itself. Parents should seek medical attention if a child with flu develops symptoms that suggest the heart may be struggling, including:

• Chest pain or pressure
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• A racing or irregular heartbeat
• Fainting or severe dizziness
• Extreme or unusual weakness
• Sudden difficulty exercising or walking
• Pale, greyish or bluish skin
• Swelling

A high fever alone does not mean a child has myocarditis. Influenza commonly causes high fever, particularly in children.

If new or unusually severe symptoms appear, like breathing problems, chest symptoms, fainting or a noticeably abnormal heartbeat, medical attention must be sought.

Doctors can investigate suspected myocarditis using tests such as an ECG, blood tests, echocardiogram and, in some cases, cardiac MRI. Treatment depends on how severely the heart has been affected.

A commonly prescribed class of blood-thinning medicines may do more than prevent strokes in patients with both Alzheimer’s disease and atrial fibrillation (AFib). A new Swedish study suggests newer blood thinners may also be linked with a slower rate of cognitive decline.

The findings, published in the European Heart Journal, come from a large analysis of 7,308 people with Alzheimer’s disease and AFib.

Researchers compared patients who were on newer oral anticoagulants, known as NOACs, to those taking the older drug warfarin and people who were not receiving anticoagulant treatment.

What Did The Study Find?

Patients taking NOACs experienced a slower decline in cognitive function compared to those taking warfarin or no anticoagulant.

Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), a commonly used test that evaluates areas including memory, attention and orientation.

The researchers also found that NOAC treatment was associated with more favourable outcomes for stroke and death compared to no anticoagulation.

The study included patients from Sweden's national dementia registry and followed their outcomes over many years.

“This finding suggests that NOAC may offer benefits beyond their established role in preventing stroke and blood clots in people with atrial fibrillation,” said Maria Eriksdotter, professor at Karolinska Institutet and senior author of the study. She noted that the effect on cognition was modest, but even a small delay in cognitive deterioration could be meaningful over several years.

Also read: Limiting Sugar Before Age 2 May Lower Alzheimer’s Risk By 46%, Study Suggests

How Could A Blood Thinner Affect Alzheimer’s?

Researchers believe that the connection may stem from the relationship between AFib, blood clots and the brain. AFib causes the heart to beat irregularly, which can allow blood clots to form. These clots can travel to the brain and cause a stroke.

But researchers are also investigating whether smaller blockages in blood vessels, including so-called silent strokes, may contribute to cognitive damage.

Blood thinners reduce the formation of these clots, potentially protecting the brain from some additional vascular injury. Researchers have also proposed that the body's blood-clotting system could interact with biological processes involved in Alzheimer’s disease.

Also read: Alzheimer's Sleep Loss May Be Reversible; Study Sparks Hope For New Treatments

Why Did Newer Blood Thinners Prove Better Than Warfarin?

The researchers noted that differences in how consistently patients took their medicines may partly explain why NOACs appeared to perform better than warfarin. However, the study cannot determine exactly why the difference occurred.

Blood Thinners And Alzheimer’s

As this study was observational, it does not mean that blood thinners can treat Alzheimer’s successfully. Researchers analysed existing medical records rather than randomly assigning patients to receive a particular blood thinner. Therefore, it can identify an association but cannot prove that NOACs themselves caused the slower cognitive decline.

Anticoagulants are prescribed primarily to reduce the risk of stroke associated with AFib, and they can also cause serious bleeding. But this study raises the possibility that treating cardiovascular risk aggressively in people with Alzheimer’s could potentially have benefits for the brain as well.