Vaccine News

In a rebuttal to recent U.S. government policy, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated, 'At this time, travel and trade restrictions are ineffective and unnecessary for the control of the ongoing outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in the Republic of Rwanda and are potentially harmful to the affected societies and economies.'

'In addition, travel and trade restrictions may act as a disincentive for rapidly sharing public health data and information with and amongst the global health community, which is critical for informed outbreak response.

The U.S. CDC stated on October 7, 2024, 'Reconsider nonessential travel to Rwanda, which is experiencing an outbreak of MVD.'

Since September 27, 2024, when the Rwanda Ministry of Health confirmed the country's first outbreak of MVD, 61 cases and 14 related deaths have been reported.

As of October 11, 2024, no approved MVD vaccines exist, but experimental vaccines are being tested in Rwanda.

A report published today by the World Health Organization (WHO) finds that vaccines against 24 pathogens could reduce the number of antibiotics needed by 22% or 2.5 billion defined daily doses globally every year.

The WHO says vaccinated people have fewer infections.

Announced on October 10, 2024, this technical report supports the worldwide efforts to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Each year, nearly 5 million deaths are associated with AMR globally.

AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines. This makes people sicker and increases the risk of illness, death, and the spread of difficult-to-treat infections.

Vaccines are an essential part of the response to reduce AMR. They prevent infections, reduce the use and overuse of antimicrobials, and slow the emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens.

While some vaccines are already available but underused, other innovative vaccines must be developed as soon as possible, wrote the WHO.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, commented in a press release, “Prevention is better than cure, and increasing access to existing vaccines and developing new ones for critical diseases, like tuberculosis, is critical to saving lives and turning the tide on AMR.” 

The new report expands on a WHO study published in BMJ Global Health in 2023.

Thousands of healthcare professionals, advocates, and public policymakers from over 170 countries are participating in the annual Global TB Summit as the world confronts the resurgence of tuberculosis as the second deadliest infectious disease.

After a decline of about 2% per year between 2020 and 2022, the global tuberculosis incident rate rose by 3.9% in 2022. An estimated 10.6 million people worldwide fell ill with tuberculosis in 2022, leading to 1.3 million deaths.

“Tuberculosis remains a significant global threat, even though it is both preventable and curable. At the Global TB Summit 2024, we focus on the most pressing challenges. Our mission is clear: to harness innovation and foster global collaboration in our fight against this deadly disease. Only by coming together and leveraging our collective expertise can we seek to have a TB-free world,” said Glen Hansen, Chief Medical Officer at QIAGEN, in a press release on October 7, 2024.

After 27 years of declining tuberculosis cases, in 2023, the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia provisionally reported 9,615 TB cases, representing an increase of 16% compared with 2022.

Many of the cases were confirmed in children living with adults infected with TB.

The U.S. CDC stated in March 2024, 'Continued progress toward TB elimination will require strong public health systems capable of maintaining essential disease prevention and control activities.'

One of the prevention options is vaccination since TB is a vaccine-preventable disease.

Globally, there are over ten tuberculosis vaccines available in 2024.

In the U.S., the BCG vaccine is not commercially available or integrated into the CDC's vaccination schedule for children.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced yesterday that international travelers should reconsider nonessential travel to the Republic of Rwanda, which is experiencing an outbreak of Marburg virus disease.

As of October 8, 2024, Rwanda's Health Ministry posted on X that there have been 58 MVD cases and 13 related fatalities over the past month.

Rwanda has been screening departing travelers to reduce the global outbreak risk. 

Starting the week of October 14, 2024, the U.S. will begin public health entry screening of travelers entering the U.S. who have been in Rwanda in the past 21 days. This screening will be conducted at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport, and the Washington, DC Dulles International Airport.

"This screening aims to reduce the risk of importation of Marburg cases into the United States and the spread within U.S. communities," announced HHS in a statement. When passengers arrive at one of these airports, they will meet with CDC staff for an assessment.

The CDC says Marburg is a viral hemorrhagic fever, with symptoms including fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, rash, chest pain, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or unexplained bleeding or bruising.

There are no approved vaccines for Marburg, but various clinical trials are ongoing. Recently, 700 experimental Marburg vaccines were sent to Rwanda for testing.

Recent experiences with the introduction of Chikungunya and Zika viruses to the United States could foretell what might occur with the Oropouche virus because all three arboviruses are maintained in an urban cycle between humans and arthropod vectors.

Both Chikungunya and zika viruses are transmitted by Aedes (Stegomyia) mosquitoes, which oviposit and develop in containers in and around homes. This makes persons more susceptible to mosquito exposure and, ultimately, infection.

In contrast, the primary Oropouche vector, the biting midge, is low-abundance in North America and primarily resides in tree holes in the southeast and midwestern U.S., says the U.S. CDC Emerging Infectious Disease, Volume 30, Number 11—November 2024.

As of October 7, 2024, local transmission of the Oropouche virus had not been reported in the United States, although 92 cases have been reported in travelers, primarily arriving from Cuba.

Cuba is in the midst of its peak rainy season, which is associated with increased vector abundance. This suggests that more travel-associated cases might be expected in the U.S., in particular, Puerto Rico.

The U.S. CDC wrote on October 1, 2024, that various factors are likely to affect the risk of the local spread of the virus, including the rate of introduction from travel-associated cases, the presence and distribution of the vectors and potential host reservoirs, and potential virus adaptation.

Should the virus infect wild bird populations in North America, it is possible that the Oropouche virus could become endemic, similar to the progression of the West Nile virus, says the CDC.

While Chikungunya has one approved vaccine and several Zika vaccine candidates are progressing in clinical research, Oropouche vaccine research is in its early stages in 2024.

Millions of people will be infected with the Dengue virus in the last few months of 2024 without being able to be treated with an approved antiviral.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) announced on October 4, 2024, that it discontinued the Phase 2 field study evaluating the efficacy of investigational antiviral candidate mosnodenvir (JNJ-1802) for the prevention of dengue virus in adults.

Recent results from the Phase 2a human challenge study found that the compound induced antiviral activity against one of dengue's four viruses (DENV-3) in humans, compared to placebo.

J&J's decision to discontinue this study is part of a strategic reprioritization of the Company’s Communicable Diseases research and development portfolio. However, J&J will continue to support the fight against dengue by sharing study results with the medical community in the future.

Almost 4 billion people will live in areas at risk of dengue in 2024, including 26 countries recently highlighted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the U.S. CDC, dengue symptoms can become severe within a few hours. See a healthcare provider if you develop a fever or have symptoms of dengue. Dengue can be found in the blood during the first week of illness.

Furthermore, time is of the essence as severe dengue is a medical emergency.

Dengue is a vaccine-preventable disease. Various approved vaccines have limited availability, and candidate vaccines are conducting late-stage research in October 2024.

According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) chikungunya data dashboard, the Federative Republic of Brazil has reported 16 additional fatalities related to chikungunya virus (CHIKV) disease outbreaks in one month.

As of October 6, 2024, Brazil has confirmed 177 fatalities and 394,739 CHIKV cases this year.

Data from Brazil's Ministry of Health indicates that Minas Gerais has reported the most chikungunya cases, over 160,000, followed by Mato Grosso and Bahia.

Minas Gerais is Brazil's fourth-largest state by area, with a population exceeding 20 million.

In 2023, Brazil welcomed about 6 million foreign tourists, many visiting Minas Gerais.

The U.S. CDC confirmed in September 2024 that there has been evidence of chikungunya virus transmission in Brazil within the last five years, and vaccination may be considered for certain visitors.

As of October 6, 2024, Valneva SE's IXCHIQ® chikungunya vaccine has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and recommended for travelers to endemic areas by the CDC.

IXCHIQ is commercially available at travel clinics and pharmacies in the U.S.