Cancer Vaccine Breaking News

The Florida Department of Health's RSV Review Activity Summary #32 reported a few counties confirmed increasing detection rates and one outbreak in a pediatric facility in Deval County.

As of August 12, 2023, Florida's overall respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) positivity rate had increased since last week, but emergency room visits had not changed.

In Florida, deaths per 100,000 population for children younger than five was .02 for the 2022-2023 RSV season. 

Florida says its RSV season is longer than the rest of the nation and has distinct regional patterns.

From a nationwide perspective, annual community-based outbreaks of RSV typically occur during late fall, winter, and early spring. The U. S. CDC's RSV detection graphs display the 5-week moving average.

RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. According to the CDC, young children and older adults, especially those with certain underlying health conditions, are at higher risk for severe illness from RSV.

A recent Original Investigation supports new RSV preventative interventions, including long-lasting monoclonal antibodies in infants and maternal vaccination.

On July 17, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved Beyfortus™ (Nirsevimab-alip), a long-acting monoclonal RSV-neutralizing antibody, for infants.

Wiping out wild poliovirus, of which there are three strains, has been the goal of global eradication efforts since they began in 1988, wrote Clare Watson in an article today published by the journal Nature.

While types 2 and 3 were successfully eradicated in 1999 and 2020, respectively, type 1 continues circulating in Afghanistan and Pakistan 12 years after India quashed all forms of the wild virus and three years after Africa did the same.

An analysis of polio transmission dynamics published in 2020 found that global polio eradication efforts were “not on track to succeed” in achieving their goal of eliminating wild poliovirus type 1 by 2023.

Fears that eradication was falling out of reach increased again in 2021 when wild poliovirus broke containment lines and emerged in eastern Africa.

As recently as February 2023, an article in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested eradication of the virus had been “unsuccessful.”

However, polio cases are down in 2023.

Pakistan has reported just two wild polio cases in 2023, and Afghanistan has reported five.

In 2022, they recorded 22 cases combined. 

The full article, published on August 15, 2023, is available at this link.

In the U.S., poliovirus wastewater testing continues in 2023 following detections in New York in 2022.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend travelers to polio-endemic areas be fully vaccinated before departure. Polio vaccines are available in most pharmacies in the U.S.

A leader in influenza prevention today announced significant growth in its vaccine business against a backdrop of reduced immunization rates worldwide.

CSL Seqirus confirmed that on August 15, 2023, its total revenue of $2,031 million was up 9%, driven by growth in seasonal influenza vaccines, particularly FLUCELVAX®, which increased 30%.

FLUCELVAX's indication now includes six months+ age indication in the U.S., Argentina, Canada, Taiwan, Australia & New Zealand.

Additionally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognized FLUAD® as a preferentially recommended seasonal vaccine option for adults aged 65+ years.

Both of these vaccines for the 2023-2024 flu season began shipping globally, including the U.S., on July 17, 2023.

Dr. Gregg Sylvester, Chief Health Officer CSL Seqirus, commented in a related press release, "As we commence shipment to healthcare providers across the U.S., it's critical that we raise immunization rates this season to help protect as many people as possible from influenza and its potentially life-threatening complications."

The CDC encourages most people to get an annual flu shot before influenza viruses arrive. These vaccines are generally available at health clinics and community pharmacies in the U.S.

Australia's Department of Health and Aged Care's report No. 9 recently confirmed some good news regarding the 2023 flu season.

Influenza-like-illness (ILI) activity in the community has stabilized in the last fortnight (2-weeks), while ILI presentations to ASPREN sentinel general practitioners have decreased as of August 6, 2023.

And there is currently not enough information to comprehensively assess the potential severity of the 2023 influenza season at this time, stated this report.

Since seasonal surveillance commenced in April 2023, 173 (7%) ICU admissions and 194 influenza-related deaths have occurred.

Furthermore, of the 2,449 samples referred during 2023, 98% of influenza A(H1N1) isolates, 83% of influenza A(H3N2) isolates, and 99% of influenza B/Victoria isolates characterized were antigenically similar to the corresponding vaccine components.

However, it is too early to assess influenza vaccine effectiveness for this flu season.

Valneva SE today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revised the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date for the Biologics License Application (BLA) for VLA1553, a monovalent chikungunya virus vaccine candidate.

Valneva is committed to working with the FDA in its ongoing BLA review and potentially delivering the world's first chikungunya vaccine.

The previously communicated end of August PDUFA has been adjusted to the end of November 2023.

Valneva stated on August 14, 2023, the FDA extended the PDUFA date to allow sufficient time to align and agree on the phase 4 program necessary under the accelerated approval pathway.

Furthermore, no additional clinical data have been requested for the FDA approval process.

Juan Carlos Jaramillo, Chief Medical Officer of Valneva, said in a press release, "We appreciate and take pride in the fact that our BLA for VLA1553 if approved, will represent the first vaccine candidate to be approved under the accelerated approval pathway in an outbreak disease, and hence the necessary Phase 4 activities will set a future standard."

The Company reconfirms its previous guidance for potential BLA approval, initial launch, and potential award of a priority review voucher in 2023. This PDUFA extension does not impact Valneva's current regulatory submission in Canada or its planned submission with the European Medicines Agency.

VLA1553 is a single-dose, live-attenuated chikungunya vaccine candidate based on an infectious clone (CHIKV LR2006-OPY1) attenuated by deleting a gene encoding the non-structural replicase complex protein nsP3 protection against various Chikungunya virus phylogroups and strains.

Valneva's VLA1553 vaccine candidate is designed for prophylactic, active immunization against Chikungunya in humans over 1-year-old. 

Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans through the bites of mosquitoes, causing outbreaks in 2023.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported that as of July 26, 2023, approximately 300,000 cases and over 300 deaths have been reported worldwide due to Chikungunya virus disease.

When bringing a dog to the United States in 2023, people should continue to check federal regulations and the recently extended rabies vaccination requirements.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that effective August 1, 2023, it extended the temporary suspension of the importation of dogs from countries classified as high risk for dog rabies and countries that are not at high risk if the dogs have been in high-risk countries during the previous six months.

However, dogs vaccinated against rabies in the U.S. by a US-licensed veterinarian may re-enter the U.S. from a high-risk country without a CDC Dog Import Permit if the dog:

• has a current, valid US-issued rabies vaccination certificate;
• has ISO-compatible microchip;
• is at least 6 months old;
• is healthy upon arrival; and
• arrives at one of the 18 airports with a CDC quarantine station.

On July 6, 2023, the CDC published the “Notice of Extension of Temporary Suspension of Dogs Entering the United States from Countries with a High Risk of Rabies” in the Federal Register. 

According to the CDC, most rabies cases in the U.S. follow bites by bats, not dogs.

An estimated 47,000–55,000 people successfully receive post-exposure prophylaxis each year in the U.S.

Unfortunately, a recent article published in Clinical Infectious Diseases presented the first documented failure of rabies-post-exposure prophylaxis in the Western Hemisphere.

This 84-year-old man died in 2021 about six months after a rabid bat bit his hand.

The Republic of Costa Rica's Juan Santamaría International Airport recently reported over 2.8 million passengers passed through its facility during the first half of 2023.

As of June 2023, this activity represents a 4.3% increase in arriving and departing travelers compared to 2019.

The Tico Times reported on August 11, 2023, "The airport now hosts twenty-five airlines serving thirty-five destinations, enhancing global connectivity," said Erick Barboza, AERIS Business Development Director.

Recent AERIS analyses indicate increased Millennial (42%) and Generation X (32%) travelers to Costa Rica.

While in the U.S., the Transportation Security Administration's latest report indicated airport activity has not increased compared to 2019.

From a health perspective, Costa Rica was confronted with dengue, malaria, and Zika cases in 2023.