Vaccine News

According to new estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were an estimated 10.3 million cases of measles worldwide in 2023, a 20% increase from 2022.

The new data show that an estimated 107,500 people, primarily children younger than 5 years of age, died due to measles in 2023.

These agencies confirmed on November 14, 2024, that measles is vaccine-preventable. However, an estimated 83% of children received their first dose of measles vaccine last year, while only 74% received the recommended second dose.

“Measles vaccine has saved more lives than any other vaccine in the past 50 years,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, in a press release.

Geographically, 57 countries experienced large or disruptive measles outbreaks in 2023.

The CDC maintains a global Watch-Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions, Travel Health Notice, identifying measles outbreaks in 56 countries. The CDC encourages all international travelers to fully immunize against measles before visiting outbreak countries.

In the United States, the CDC reported 59 measles cases in 20 jurisdictions in 2023. Unfortunately, 277 measles cases in 32 U.S. jurisdictions were confirmed in 2024.

The vast majority of measles cases in the U.S. are detected in unvaccinated international travelers.

Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. today announced the publication of a paper entitled, “Recombinant Chimeric Horsepox Virus (TNX-801) is Attenuated Relative to Vaccinia Virus Strains in Both In Vitro and In Vivo Models.”

Data published in the peer-reviewed journal mSphere demonstrate that TNX‐801 is less virulent than 20th-century vaccinia vaccines in immune-compromised mice.

The publication describes data in which TNX-801 was compared with older vaccinia vaccine strains used to eradicate smallpox for tolerability in both in vitro and in vivo models.

Together, TNX-801 was shown to be more than 10—to 1,000-fold more attenuated (or less virulent) than the older vaccinia smallpox vaccines.

Combined with the ability of TNX-801 to protect animals against lethal challenge with Clade Ia mpox virus, the Company believes that the new tolerability data support the idea that TNX-801 is a candidate vaccine to control the ongoing mpox Clade Ib and mpox Clade IIb outbreaks.

Previously, single-dose vaccination with TNX-801 was shown to protect animals from a lethal challenge with Clade Ia mpox.

The new Clade Ib mpox is spreading among children in Africa and, so far, has been carried by adult travelers from Africa into non-African countries.

The global mpox outbreak from Clade IIb, which commenced in May 2022, continues in various countries, including the United States.

“Addressing the new Clade Ib mpox outbreak and the ongoing spread of Clade IIb mpox may require a single dose mpox vaccine that provides durable protection,” said Seth Lederman, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Tonix Pharmaceuticals, in a press release on November 13, 2024.

The current standard of prevention focuses on Bavarian Nordic's JYNNEOS® (MVA-BN®, IMVAMUNE®, IMVANEX®) two-dose vaccine, which is commercially available in the United States.

The recently released World Health Organization (WHO) 2024 Global Tuberculosis Report revealed tuberculosis remains a leading infectious disease globally.

Unfortunately, the WHO African Region continues to be significantly impacted by tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks.

For example, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are among the eight countries that account for over 60% of the people estimated to have developed TB in 2023.

Nigeria has 4.6% of the global new cases, while the DRC has 3.1%.

When visiting Nigeria or the DRC, the U.S. CDC's Travel Health Notices do not recommend TB vaccination. 

The only vaccine use to prevent TB is about 100 years.

Today, over ten versions of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine are used worldwide.

Over the decades, BCG vaccination has been found effective for children but less so for adults. The good news is that various TB vaccine candidates are in late-stage development, with authorizations expected soon.

Novavax, Inc. today announced its financial results and operational highlights for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024. A few highlights are inserted below:

For the third quarter of 2024, total revenue was $85 million, compared to $187 million in the same period in 2023. And ended the quarter with $1 billion in cash and receivables.

Advanced preparation for Sanofi to assume lead commercial responsibility of Nuvaxovid™ COVID-19 vaccine for the 2025-2026 vaccination season in the U.S., Europe, and select major markets not currently subject to Novavax Advanced Purchase Agreements or existing partnership agreements.

Entered the U.S. market with an improved Nuvaxovid presentation and broader access, available in pre-filled syringes in over 30,000 locations across major pharmacy retailers and regional grocers.

John C. Jacobs, President and Chief Executive Officer of Novavax, commented in a press release on November 12, 2024, “In addition to progress on our other value drivers, this past quarter, we made significant progress defining our R&D strategy as we look to expand beyond COVID-19 and influenza."

"We intend to develop our early-stage pipeline with a disciplined approach, as we focus on areas where our technology can have a positive impact on public health and generate value.”

An example is the R21/Matrix-M™ vaccine that includes Novavax's proprietary saponin-based Matrix-M adjuvant. This malaria vaccine is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India Private Ltd and is available in various African countries in 2024.

Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a “Study Can Proceed” notification for the Company’s Investigational New Drug application, ARCT-2304, a self-amplifying mRNA (sa-mRNA) vaccine candidate for active immunization to prevent pandemic influenza disease caused by H5N1 virus.

The sa-mRNA vaccine candidate is designed to make many copies of mRNA within the host cell after intramuscular injection to enhance the expression of haemagglutinin and neuraminidase antigens, thereby enabling lower doses than conventional mRNA vaccines.

“Arcturus is actively engaged with the U.S. government to prepare for the next pandemic, and clearance to proceed into the clinic with our STARR® self-amplifying mRNA technology is a key step in this important process,” said Joseph Payne, President & CEO of Arcturus Therapeutics, in a press release on November 11, 2024.

“The Phase 1 clinical trial is designed to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of ARCT-2304 as a potential vaccine to protect against the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza.”

The clinical study is funded by the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.

The U.S. and European vaccine agencies have previously approved avian and pandemic influenza vaccines and have recently awarded funding grants for (bird flu) vaccine candidates.

Novavax, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the Company to begin enrolling the planned Phase 3 clinical trial following the determination that Novavax satisfactorily addressed all clinical hold issues regarding its COVID-19-Influenza Combination and stand-alone influenza vaccine candidates. 

"We thank the FDA for their partnership and thorough review of the additional information provided as part of our response package," said Robert Walker, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Novavax, in a November 11, 2024 press release.

"We plan to start our Phase 3 trial as soon as possible."

The Company did not estimate the availability of these innovative vaccine candidates.

Novavax is a global company advancing protein-based vaccines with its Matrix-M™ adjuvant, such as the R21/Matrix-M™ malaria vaccine currently available in Africa.

Over the past few days, announcements have indicated more people may visit the Republic of El Salvador next year.

On November 1, 2024, Volaris El Salvador and Miami International Airport officials celebrated the launch of four weekly nonstop flights between San Salvador and Miami, Florida. In 2025, additional U.S. cities will also offer direct flights to this Central American destination.

On November 8, 2024, the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador reported significantly reducing gang-related activity and associated crime in the last two years. Recognizing these positive changes, the U.S. Department of State reduced its travel advisory to Level 2.

To keep visitors informed of local issues, the State Department recommends using major highways and roads and minimizing travel outside metropolitan areas when visiting El Salvador. It also recommends that visitors enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive alerts and make locating you in an emergency easier.

From a health perspective, the U.S. CDC says dengue outbreaks are a year-round risk in many parts of the world, including El Salvador. As of November 2024, over 7,200 dengue cases were reported, an increase from the 5,788 cases confirmed last year.

Additionally, chikungunya, another mosquito-transmitted disease, has been confirmed in 47 people this year.

"For U.S. travelers with plans to visit El Salvador, it's essential to receive the hepatitis A and typhoid fever vaccines before visiting because you'll want to sample many of the excellent Salvadorian foods while on vacation. Be sure you're up-to-date on all routine vaccines, like hepatitis B, flu, measles (MMR), and tetanus," Jeri Beales, MSN, R.N., informed Vax-Before-Travel.

"Mosquitos are also a problem throughout El Salvador, and cases of dengue fever are on the rise this year. Unfortunately, no vaccine is available in the U.S. to protect people against dengue, so be sure to use an insect repellant with at least 20% DEET."

"But, the good news for U.S. travelers is you can now vaccinate (IXCHIQ®) against the chikungunya illness and travelers no longer need to take malaria medication while in El Salvador because it has been eradicated from all parts of the country," added Beales, who leads Destination Health Clinic. This Boston-area travel health provider specializes in health education and vaccination for international travelers.

The CDC suggests visiting your healthcare provider at least a month before your trip to El Salvador to acquire necessary vaccines such as chikungunya or typhoid. Visit the CDC's page for the latest Travel Health Information.