Pakistan continues to be dealing with a polio outbreak as four fresh cases have emerged, pushing the national tally to 37 this year, according to health officials on October 19, 2024. Health officials said that the regional reference laboratory for polio eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad confirmed wild poliovirus type-1 (WPV1) in two children-one from each Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

In recent cases, a girl has been affected from Pishin, and two boys from Chaman and Noshki of Balochistan, and a girl from Lakki Marwat in KP. These are the first detections of the virus within Noshki and Lakki Marwat this year; isolated cases of poliovirus were previously reported within Chaman and Pishin. The province of Balochistan was the worst hit with 20 cases, Sindh had 10, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had five, and Punjab and Islamabad had one case each.

A gigantic fight against polio has been on going in Pakistan- especially in Balochistan and southern KP-over the last two years. Immunisation campaigns have often been suspended or delayed because of local protests, insecurity, and community boycotts. Consequently, quite a number of children did not get the necessary vaccinations, making existing patches of vulnerability for the virus to flow within those pockets.

Noshki, located near Afghanistan's border, and Lakki Marwat have also recently reported some positive environmental samples that confirm the virus is present here, said a local reference laboratory official. Samples of latest cases are currently under genetic sequencing for checking spread of virus and origin.

As the threat of polio continues to grow, Pakistan has vowed to mount a nationwide campaign against it beginning from October 28. With the zeal to tackle the menace in the most effective manner, over 45 million children under the age of five will be vaccinated across the country.

Today, Afghanistan and Pakistan remain one of the few countries where polio has not yet been eradicated. The WHO said the virus remains a potential serious public health threat in areas with low vaccination coverage and weak surveillance.

India On Alert Against Polio

The country declared itself polio-free since 2014 and has kept the disease on bay almost a decade with very robust vaccination programs; however, two cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus cases reported in recent days from Meghalaya create some amount of doubts over a possible resurgence. Experts observe that in India, despite these detections taking place, strong coverage of vaccination at 90-95% and mandatory surveillance measures keep the risk of this widespread outbreak at bay.

The experts point out, however, that such stable situation in India requires continued surveillance. "Countries like Pakistan and parts of Africa remain at a high risk because vaccination rates in those areas are much lower," Dr. Siddharth, public health expert, said. Vaccination is an indispensable act in order to avoid the spread of this incapacitating disease that manifests most importantly as a nervous system affliction leading to the paralysis of a long period.

With concerted efforts from health authorities, there is hope someday that the scourge of polio will be completely eradicated from the face of the earth and future generations will never suffer from its effects.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer cases and deaths worldwide, with an estimated 2.5 million new cases and 1.8 million deaths in 2022.

Lung cancer is often diagnosed at later stages, when five-year survival rates are lowest. Now, two drugs developed by pharma giants GSK and BioNTech have shown promising results in major clinical trials.

Data presented at the ongoing International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2026 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in Seoul, South Korea, showed that the drugs could improve survival and produce high tumour response rates in patients with certain types of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

GSK's Jideytro Shows 94% Response Rate

GSK announced positive results from the ARROS-1 trial evaluating Jideytro (zidesamtinib) in patients with ROS1-positive NSCLC who had not previously received treatment with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

Among patients who had not previously received a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), an oral targeted therapy, Jideytro triggered an objective response in 88 patients, giving an objective response rate of 94%.

These patients were allowed to have received up to one prior line of chemotherapy, with or without immunotherapy, before entering the study.

GSK reported that 90% of patients remained progression-free at 12 months. Notably, 70% of patients with brain metastases saw complete clearance of detectable tumors.

With the promising results, the company said it will apply for a supplemental New Drug Application to the US Food and Drug Administration later this year to expand Jideytro's approval into first-line use.

Jideytro was already approved in July 2026 for previously treated patients with advanced ROS1-positive NSCLC.

BioNTech Drug Nearly Doubles Survival

German biopharmaceutical company BioNTech said its experimental immunotherapy gotistobart (BNT316/ONC-392) produced a significant overall-survival benefit in the Phase 3 PRESERVE-003 trial in previously treated metastatic squamous NSCLC.

Gotistobart is an investigational immunomodulator that targets CTLA-4 and is designed to selectively enhance regulatory T-cell depletion in the tumor microenvironment.

According to the company, median overall survival was 18.5 months with gotistobart, compared with 10.0 months with standard-of-care docetaxel chemotherapy, nearly doubling median survival in this patient population.

The findings suggest potential for gotistobart as a chemotherapy-free treatment approach in previously treated patients with squamous NSCLC.

“The magnitude of the survival benefit observed with gotistobart as a chemotherapy-free treatment approach in the PRESERVE-003 clinical trial is highly encouraging. If confirmed in the pivotal portion of the Phase 3 trial, these findings could transform the standard of care in a setting where new therapies are urgently needed,” said Rama Balaraman, Principal Investigator and medical oncologist at Ocala Oncology Center, Florida, US.

What Is Lung Cancer?

Lung cancer is a serious disease and remains a major public health challenge worldwide due to its high incidence and mortality.

Lung cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably in the lungs. Treatment depends on a person's medical history and the stage of the disease.

The two main types of lung cancer are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which accounts for around 85% of cases, and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), which is less common but typically more aggressive.

With a five-year relative survival rate of 15% and a median overall survival of 11 months in the United States between 2000 and 2017, squamous NSCLC is a devastating disease with limited treatment options.

The US is seeing a significant rise in measles cases, with three deaths reported among unvaccinated people in Pennsylvania. The surge has also raised concerns about the country’s measles elimination status and whether people who have already been vaccinated can still catch the highly infectious virus.

While two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine can prevent measles by up to 97%, breakthrough infections can still occur. Pennsylvania has reported four measles cases among people who were fully vaccinated this year.

What Happened In Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania is among the worst-hit states, with the measles virus having sickened 676 people, with the state adding 108 cases in the last seven days.

Although the US CDC is yet to update its website, Pennsylvania health officials have confirmed three deaths — two babies and one adult.

But more concerning is the fact that four residents who were fully vaccinated against measles have fallen ill with the virus this year.

According to health officials, of the four individuals, three are adults and one is a child. None of them were hospitalized.

While measles infection among vaccinated individuals is unusual, cases can occur as community transmission rises and overall case numbers increase, they said.

“As community transmission rises and our overall case numbers increase, we see a handful of people who were vaccinated will get measles,” state Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen said, LancasterOnline reported.

However, measles is not expected to be as severe in people who are vaccinated.

“Their illness will be much more mild and less likely to cause serious illness than if they had not received two vaccines,” Dr. Pia Fenimore, chief and vice chair of pediatrics at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, was quoted as saying to LancasterOnline.

How Effective Is The MMR Vaccine?

The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is recommended for infants. The first dose is given at age 12-15 months, followed by a second dose between ages 4-6 years.

The measles vaccine is 97% effective when a person receives two doses. However, three out of 100 people who have received both doses of the MMR vaccine will get measles if exposed, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Among people who have received one dose of the vaccine, seven out of 100 will get measles following an exposure.

Can Measles Vaccine Effectiveness Wane?

The measles vaccine is safe, and most people can receive it. Exceptions include people who have had allergic reactions or those with a weakened immune system.

“Adults and children who are immunocompromised due to cancer or other illnesses should be very careful since these treatments and conditions can weaken the efficacy of their vaccines,” Dr. Fenimore said.

According to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), most vaccinated adults are immune to measles and do not need further vaccines.

People born before 1957 likely had measles disease and developed lifelong immunity, and do not need MMR vaccines.

Those vaccinated between 1963 and 1968 may have received a measles vaccine that was found to have lower effectiveness. Those who have received two doses of the measles vaccine are not considered to be at risk.

How Big Is The Measles Outbreak In The US?

As per the CDC, there have been 3,294 confirmed measles cases reported in the United States so far in 2026.

There have been 38 new outbreaks reported this year, with 95% of confirmed cases associated with outbreaks — 1,748 from outbreaks that started in 2026 and 1,375 from outbreaks that started in 2025.

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

Being infected with SARS-CoV-2 two or more times may be associated with a higher likelihood of developing new health conditions. According to a study published in Canada Communicable Disease Report, repeated COVID-19 infections were associated with higher odds of new diagnoses, including respiratory, back and mental health problems.

It is well known that pre-existing health conditions can increase the risk of severe COVID-19. But the new research suggests that the relationship between COVID-19 and chronic health conditions may run in both directions.

The findings reinforce “the continued importance of public health efforts to prevent infection,” the researchers said.

What Are The Newer Health Risks?

For the study, researchers from the Public Health Agency of Canada and Statistics Canada analysed data collected between April 2022 and June 2023 from nearly 9,000 respondents to the Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey and Follow-up Questionnaire.

Also read: COVID-19 Rising In 35 US States: Sore Throat, Diarrhea Among Key Symptoms

Nearly 50% of participants reported having one COVID-19 infection, while about 20% reported two or more infections.

The researchers found that people who reported two or more infections had 76% higher odds of receiving a new diagnosis than those who reported no infections.

The new health conditions included:

• Respiratory conditions
• Cardiovascular conditions
• High blood pressure
• Musculoskeletal conditions
• Arthritis
• Back problems
• Sleep apnea
• Mental health conditions

Respiratory Diagnoses Had The Strongest Association

People with repeat infections had five times the odds of receiving a respiratory diagnosis and nearly four times the odds of developing back problems.

Participants who experienced acute symptoms that interfered with daily activities during their first infection were also 63% more likely to receive a new diagnosis.

Those who experienced symptoms three or more months after an infection had more than three times the odds of receiving a new diagnosis.

The researchers cautioned that the health information was self-reported, which means participants may not have accurately remembered the severity of their symptoms.

In addition, some people who reported having no infections may have had asymptomatic or undiagnosed COVID-19.

“Continued investigation into the long-term sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infections, particularly reinfections, and the biological, behavioral and systemic factors that may mediate the effects of these infections is needed,” said the researchers in the paper.

“Such investigations could assist healthcare practitioners in tailoring COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and post-COVID-19 monitoring for new health conditions and guide public health practice and messaging when promoting COVID-19 vaccine uptake and personal protective measures (e.g., masking) to prevent and minimize the severity of infections, as well as the potential development of new health conditions,” they added.

COVID Status Worldwide

Global COVID-19 transmission has experienced a distinct late-summer wave through August and September 2026. Several countries, including Canada, the US, South Korea and Japan, have reported increased COVID-19 activity.

The current circulation includes variants such as XFG (Stratus), BA.3.2 (Cicada), LF.7 and NB.1.8.1 (Nimbus). The continued circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and the possibility of repeat infections make research into the longer-term health effects of reinfection particularly relevant.