Cancer Vaccine Breaking News

A cross-sectional study from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging published on August 16, 2023, aimed to quantify the clinical trial eligibility criteria for lecanemab and aducanumab treatment for people with early Alzheimer's Disease (AD).

These AD therapies, which are not preventive vaccines, recently received U.S. FDA authorization.

The data indicates that few people are eligible for the anti-beta amyloid monoclonal antibody (mAbs) therapies.

Two hundred thirty-seven participants (mean age 80.9) with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia and increased brain amyloid burden comprised the study sample.

The mAb aducanumab trial's exclusion criteria reduced the number of available participants, narrowing those eligible to 12 (5.1% of 237).

The common exclusions related to other chronic conditions and neuroimaging findings.

"At first glance, applying clinical trial criteria to real-world practice may seem overly conservative," noted Stephen Salloway, MD, of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and co-authors, in a related editorial published on August 16, 2023.

The journal Neurology published this Research Article: Eligibility for Anti-Amyloid Treatment in a Population-Based Study of Cognitive Aging.

While the 2023-2024 flu season in the Northern Hemisphere is accelerating, influenza infections have already caused significant mortalities in the U.S.

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance data available on August 17, 2023, reported that 6.1% of the deaths during week #32 were due to pneumonia, influenza, and/or COVID-19.

Among the deaths reported during week #32, six listed influenza as an underlying or contributing cause of death on the death certificate.

Additionally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the total number of influenza pediatric deaths for this flu season has reached 168.

Furthermore, 1.3% of patient visits reported were due to respiratory illness, including fever, cough, or sore throat.

An analysis published by the Journal of Infectious Diseases on August 1, 2023, found the risk of flu-related intensive care admission was seven-time greater in unvaccinated people in certain countries.

The CDC recommends an annual flu shot for most people six months of age to reduce future deaths.

Updated flu shots are available, over 100 million so far, in health clinics and pharmacies in the U.S. Last flu season, about 173 million flu shots were distributed in the U.S.

The CDC encourages influenza vaccinations before and during the flu season.

Note: The CDC stated on August 18, 2023, the data presented are preliminary and may change as more data are received and processed.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) today reported that after several months of meager infection rates, COVID-19 transmission has increased in some EU/EEA countries.

As of August 17, 2023, this increase has coincided with increasing detections of SARS-CoV-2 XBB.1.5-like lineages carrying the F456L mutation and other drivers can contribute to the increasing transmission rates.

These drivers include large gatherings during seasonal holidays and lower levels of immunological protection against infection after several months of very low disease incidence.

Fortunately, there is currently no sign of increased COVID-19 hospitalizations or pressures on healthcare systems. 

Additionally, the ECDC wrote adherence to national COVID-19 vaccination schedules is essential to protect people at high risk for severe disease and death.

As of August 11, 2023, among people aged 60 years and above, the cumulative uptake of a first booster was 84.9% (country range: 13.3–100.0%), and of a second booster was 35.6% (country range: 0.4–87.0%).

Countries should assess their readiness to identify target groups and conduct timely COVID-19 vaccination campaigns.

In addition, communication campaigns aimed at the public and healthcare professionals are deemed necessary to reach high-risk groups and inform them of the importance of staying up to date with vaccination. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) webinar on August 17, 2023, focused on eliminating measles in the U.S.

This webinar is essential since measles cases worldwide increased by about 80% during 2022. Globally, measles outbreaks have been reported in various countries this year. In the U.S., there have been 19 measles cases reported in 2023.

During this COCA Call, presenters reviewed the clinical presentation and diagnosis of measles infection, how to report suspected cases to public health agencies, and outlined vaccination recommendations in the U.S.

Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease, says the CDC. Measles vaccines (MMR) are available at health clinics and pharmacies in the U.S.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the intramuscular route of administration for M-M-R®II and ProQuad® vaccines. In addition, the FDA  approved the Priorix vaccine to prevent MMR in individuals one year and older. 

Updated on August 21, 2023, with data regarding measles cases.

The Broward County Department of Health in Florida recently joined its southern neighbor, Miami-Dade, in issuing a Mosquito-borne Illness Alert.

The bite of an infected mosquito spreads dengue and is not usually present in the greater Ft. Lauderdale area. However, infected travelers have brought the virus back to Florida, primarily in the Miami-Dade Country area.

In 2023, there have been two locally acquired dengue cases in Broward County. Last year, there were two other locally acquired dengue cases.

In total, Florida's Department of Health has reported 215 dengue cases in 2023.

Globally, Dengue outbreaks have been confirmed by numerous countries this year, such as Costa Rica.

Dengue is a vaccine-preventable disease, with two vaccines approved in various countries.

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.