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The New Zealand Government recently announced it was removing the remaining COVID-19 public health requirements.
Minister of Health Dr. Ayesha Verrall commented in a press release on August 14, 2023, ....While fluctuations from week to week are expected, overall COVID-19 case rates, wastewater levels, and hospitalizations have been trending downwards since the beginning of June 2023. And over the past month, reported COVID-19 cases have hit their lowest levels since February 2022.
.... and it’s safe to remove the final requirements.
COVID-19 cases accounted for 2.2% of recent hospital admissions, and New Zealand has now likely passed the winter influenza peak.
“While our case numbers will continue to fluctuate, we have not seen the dramatic peaks that characterized COVID-19 rates last year,” said Verrall, an infectious diseases doctor and Labour list MP from Wellington.
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.
Over the past month, the World Health Organization (WHO) received reports of 1,020 newly confirmed mpox cases and three new deaths.
As of August 9, 2023, 15 of the 113 affected countries have reported new cases within the last 21 days.
The transmission of the monkeypox virus (MPXV) continues at a low level in most countries reporting cases to the WHO.
However, a significant number of mpox cases has been reported by China for July 2023.
Based on information shared with WHO, the main demographic characteristics of cases in China are similar to those of the global outbreak. These reported cases have been identified as clade IIb MPXV.
As of August 15, 2023, Bavarian Nordic's JYNNEOS® (MVA-BN) two-dose vaccine remains available in most impacted countries.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices presented various mpox outbreak data on June 23, 2023, and did not endorse a third JYNNEOS vaccination.
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.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recently stated that the detection of avian influenza (bird flu) outbreaks in 15 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean has never been recorded before.
These bird flu outbreaks are mainly located in areas along the Pacific Flyway.
As of epidemiological week #31 of 2023, the PAHO reported authorities in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, the USA, and Venezuela have detected outbreaks of Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses in domestic birds, farm poultry and/or wild birds, and in mammals.
Among the mammals identified as of August 9, 2023, red foxes and skunks were the most frequently affected in North America and fur seals in South America. For example, Argentina's Senasa reported on August 11, 2023, the country's first avian flu detections in sea lions.
And in Chile, about 16,000 sea lions have died due to HPAI infections this year.
Whenever avian influenza viruses circulate among poultry, there is a risk of sporadic occurrence of human cases due to exposure to infected poultry or contaminated environments.
From 2003 to July 14, 2023, twenty-three countries reported 878 human cases of influenza A(H5N1) infection, including 458 deaths (case fatality ratio 52%), says the PAHO.
While there are ongoing investments in bird flu vaccines for mammals and people, the U.S. CDC reaffirms the annual flu shot is not designed to protect people from HAPI viruses.
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.
The United States has maintained the elimination of measles since 2000. However, measles outbreaks have recently occurred when people travel to and from the U.S., especially when travelers are unvaccinated or under-vaccinated against measles.
The CDC updated its list of the top ten measles outbreaks on August 10, 2023, indicating India has reported over 57,000 measles cases during the past year.
And they reissued a Level 1 Travel Health Notice in late June 2023, confirming a global measles outbreak.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated it would conduct a Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) webinar on August 17, 2023, focused on eliminating measles in the U.S.
This effort requires continued investment in the measles vaccination program,s which are instrumental to achieving elimination.
Additionally, healthcare providers and public health authorities need to remain vigilant to rapidly recognize measles and take steps to mitigate the spread within communities for continued measles elimination. Healthcare providers should consider measles a diagnosis in anyone with a fever (≥101°F or 38.3°C) and a generalized maculopapular rash with cough, coryza, or conjunctivitis who has recently been abroad, especially in countries with ongoing outbreaks.
Furthermore, the CDC urges all healthcare providers to ensure their patients are current on measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination.
During this COCA Call, presenters will discuss the history of measles in the U.S., review clinical presentation and diagnosis of measles infection, review how to report suspected cases to public health agencies and outline recommendations for measles vaccination in the U.S.
When: Thursday, August 17, 2023, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET; Webinar Link: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1603132944; Webinar ID: 160 313 2944; Passcode: 532989.
In the U.S., various measles vaccines are generally available at health clinics and community pharmacies.
