Vaccine News

When vacationing in Costa Rica this winter, it's best to avoid mountainous areas where mosquitos are transmitting diseases to people.

The Costa Rica Health Department's Boletín Epidemiológico N°36 was posted on September 20, 2024. It confirms that mosquito-transmitted Chikungunya, Dengue, Malaria, or Zika virus infections have occurred this year and vary by location. 

For example, 30 chikungunya infections have been reported this year, led by the Central Norte, Pacifico Central, and Central Sur regions. Last year, 82 chikungunya cases were confirmed in Costa Rica.

As of 2024, Canada, the United Kingdom, the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), and the U.S. CDC have issued travel advisories and vaccine recommendations for Costa Rica.

The CDC recommends checking the recommended vaccine list and seeing a healthcare provider at least a month before  visiting Costa Rica. In particular, the CDC now endorses Valneva SE's IXCHIQ® monovalent, single-dose vaccine when visiting Chikungunya endemic areas.

Additionally, the U.S. Embassy in San Jose publishes health topics and recommends visitors enroll in NEWSMART to make it easier to contact you during an emergency while in Costa Rica.

The American Lung Association (ALA) today announced it is launching an educational campaign to help raise awareness about respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and steps to help prevent RSV infection.

RSV is a highly contagious virus that spreads through close contact with infected individuals.

This campaign is essential since only 24% of older adults have received one of the three approved RSV vaccines.

“RSV poses a serious threat, particularly to older adults and those with certain chronic medical conditions. Raising awareness about protection through vaccination is critical to saving lives and reducing hospitalizations during the respiratory virus season,” said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the ALA, in a press release on September 25, 2024.

“We encourage individuals 60 and older to talk to their healthcare providers about whether RSV vaccination is recommended for them.”

Individuals who have already received an RSV vaccine do not need additional doses, and vaccination is not recommended annually.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends RSV vaccination for adults 75 years and older and for adults aged 60 to 74 who are at high risk for severe disease.

The CDC says the ideal time for vaccination is before the RSV virus spreads widely. It typically increases during the fall and peaks in winter.

The CDC recently reported that RSV levels remained low but were increasing.  As of September 2024, the state of Florida had reported the most RSV cases in the United States.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, announced today it is taking action to increase the supply of mpox vaccines.

This news supports the U.S. Government's commitment to making over 1 million combined doses of Bavarian Nordic A/S JYNNEOS® (MVA-BN®) vaccines available to the global mpox response focused in Africa.

Since JYNNEOS is a two-dose vaccination regimen, this announcement indicates about 500,000 individuals can be vaccinated.

“A public health threat to one is a public health threat to all. HHS is committed to fighting the current mpox outbreak, including through this vaccine donation. Disease doesn’t respect borders, and it is our duty to work together to make our world healthier. Our partnerships across the globe in fighting infectious disease will help keep us safe,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in a press release on September 24, 2024.

According to HHS, these vaccine efforts build on the $1.94 billion invested in funds and technical expertise to develop and sustain JYNNEOS, which is FDA-approved for both mpox and smallpox. The product would not exist without the investment and technical expertise the U.S. government provided.

More information on the U.S. response to the Clade 1 mpox outbreak can be found on the HHS mpox response website. JYNNEOS's efficacy against the Clade 1 mpox virus remains under investigation.

Cidara Therapeutics, Inc., today announced the first subjects dosed in the Phase 2b NAVIGATE trial in the U.S. and U.K. The trial evaluates the efficacy and safety of CD388, a long-acting antiviral, for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of influenza during the 2024-2025 flu season.

CD388 is an investigational drug-Fc conjugate (DFC) comprised of multiple copies of a potent small molecule neuraminidase inhibitor stably conjugated to a proprietary Fc fragment of a human antibody.

DFCs are not vaccines or monoclonal antibodies but low-molecular-weight biologics designed to function as long-acting small-molecule inhibitors. 

In a June 2024 bioRxiv manuscript, CD388 demonstrated potent, universal activity across influenza A and B viruses, including high pathogenicity and neuraminidase-resistant strains, a low potential for resistance development, and robust efficacy in lethal mouse infection models.

“Effective new options are needed to prevent influenza, particularly for people who do not respond well to seasonal flu vaccines,” said Jeffrey Stein, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Cidara Therapeutics, in a press release on September 23, 2024.

“Since CD388 is not a vaccine, its activity does not rely upon an immune response and is, thereby, expected to work regardless of immune status."

"In addition, CD388 has demonstrated the potential to prevent infection by both seasonal and pandemic strains of influenza A and B."

The Phase 2b clinical trial is a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial targeting 5,000 healthy, unvaccinated adult subjects who are not at risk of complications from influenza. Three CD388 dose groups or a placebo will be administered to subjects as a single dose at the beginning of the influenza season. Subjects will then be followed for the remainder of the influenza season to monitor for breakthrough cases.

Cidara Therapeutics is a biotechnology company using its proprietary Cloudbreak® platform to develop DFC immunotherapies designed to save lives and improve the standard of care for patients facing serious diseases.

A new report jointly released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and ITU (International Telecommunication Union) today suggests an additional $0.24 per patient per year investment in digital health interventions, such as telemedicine, mobile messaging, and chatbots, can help save more than two million lives over the next decade from noncommunicable diseases.

These diseases include, but are not limited to, cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases.

This small investment could also avert approximately 7 million acute events and hospitalizations, significantly reducing the strain on healthcare systems worldwide.

ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin commented in a press release on September 23, 2024, "We call for greater collaboration between the health and tech sectors, including the development of strong digital public infrastructure, essential for the delivery of digital health services that can benefit people everywhere without leaving anyone behind."

The publication" "going Digital for Noncommunicable Diseases: The Case for Action" was launched at an event hosted by the Government of The Gambia during the 79th United Nations General Assembly in collaboration with the ITU and WHO.

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended marketing authorization for the companies’ Omicron KP.2-adapted monovalent COVID-19 vaccine (COMIRNATY ® KP.2) for active immunization to prevent COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 in individuals six months of age and older.

Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE announced that the European Commission will review the CHMP’s recommendation and is expected to make a final decision soon.

The CHMP recommendation dated September 19, 2024, is based on the non-clinical and manufacturing data of the Omicron KP.2-adapted vaccine and the clinical and real-world evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of prior formulas of the COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer and BioNTech.

Pending the EC's authorization of the Omicron KP.2-adapted vaccine, both the Omicron KP.2-adapted vaccine and the Omicron JN.1-adapted vaccine will be available across the EU, though availability will vary based on individual country government requests and national recommendations.

The U.S. Department of State published an updated Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution advisory for visitors to the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands.

About 63 million international and domestic tourists visited Denmark in 2023, including over 600,000 from the United States.

As of September 17, 2024, the State Department advises travelers to be aware of their surroundings when traveling to tourist locations and crowded public venues. Additionally, travelers should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive alerts, which makes locating you in an emergency easier.

Furthermore, Denmark has excellent medical facilities, such as modern and fully equipped hospitals. However, medical facilities in Greenland and the Faroe Islands are limited, and evacuation is required for serious illness or injury. For emergency services in the Kingdom of Denmark, dial 112, and vaccine information is posted at this link.

The U.S. CDC says those travelers who may be at increased risk of an infectious disease due to their work, lifestyle, or underlying health problems should be up to date with recommended vaccines, which may need to be administered one month before visiting Denmark.

Health clinics and pharmacies in the U.S. generally offer travel vaccines.