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Bavarian Nordic A/S recently announced that its Phase 3 clinical trial of MVA-BN® RSV, a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine candidate for adults ≥60 years of age, did not meet all the primary endpoints of preventing lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) from RSV.
Based on this outcome, Bavarian Nordic will discontinue its RSV program, including its partnership with Nuance Pharma to develop and launch the vaccine for selected Asian markets.
“We are disappointed that our RSV vaccine candidate was not successful in this pivotal trial,” said Paul Chaplin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bavarian Nordic, in a press release on July 22, 2023.
The final study results showed that the vaccine candidate had a 59% efficacy in preventing at least two pre-defined LRTD symptoms meeting one of the efficacy criteria of the study.
However, when measuring more severe LRTD based on at least three pre-defined symptoms, the vaccine candidate only demonstrated a 42.9% efficacy and missed the co-primary endpoint of the study.
As of July 24, 2023, there are two approved RSV vaccines in the U.S. and several late-stage vaccine candidates conducting research.
With 117 confirmed cases of circulating variant polioviruses and 107 detections in sampled wastewater in the WHO African Region as of July 2023, the Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) recently urged partners to address gaps in polio immunity urgently.
The ARCC, which held its 31st meeting in early July 2023, called for accelerated implementation of supplementary immunization activities.
"We are looking forward to implementing the additional ARCC recommendations to guide how we can deliver on the promise of the polio-free Democratic Republic of the Congo and Africa," said Dr. Serge Emmanuel Holenn, Deputy Minister of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In this response, @WHOAFRO Tweeted on July 24, 2023, that the Republic of Madagascar recently launched a polio vaccination campaign to reach over 18 million people.
Madagascar has reported 13 cVDPV1 cases in 2023. Last year, there were 16 cVDPV1 cases.
And 8 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1) positive environmental samples were reported in Analamanga in July 2023.
Countries with cVDPV1 have the risk of international spread. Therefore, they are subject to WHO temporary recommendations.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says polio is a vaccine-preventable disease.
As of July 2023, 670 million doses of the nOPV2 vaccine had been administered, primarily in Africa. On March 28, 2023, the WHO's SAGE recommended that it be the preferred polio vaccine for response to cVDPV2 outbreaks wherever possible.
The nOPV2 vaccine is not authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. Therefore, it is not available in the U.S.
The ARCC is an independent body established in 1998 to oversee the certification status of the African region as free from indigenous wild poliovirus.
Updated: On July 25, 2023, the WHO confirmed the priority regions (Analamanga, Vakinankaratra, Alaotra Mangoro, and Atsimo Andrefana) and those under 15 in the 19 other regions.
Over the past three years, the People's Republic of Bangladesh has been confronted with a dengue outbreak, with Dhaka being the hotspot.
According to media sources, July 2023 has become Bangladesh's deadliest month. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) confirmed about 156 deaths were reported from dengue disease between January 1 and July 21.
Local health experts fear August and September will be more severe as the weather is more suitable for breeding the disease-spreading Aedes mosquitoes.
"The number of dengue patients had been increasing alarmingly since January this year giving a signal of dengue pandemic during the rainy season as 566 dengue cases were reported in the first month of the year, which is almost five times higher than that of the same period of past three years," a DGHS official added.
Dengue is a vaccine-preventable disease, with two vaccines approved in 2023.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reissued a Travel Health Advisory regarding dengue outbreaks in Africa and the Middle East.
While over 120 countries have recently reported dengue cases, the CDC's Level 1 - Practice Usual Precautions notice issued on July 21, 2023, highlights dengue outbreaks in Egypt, Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe, Somalia, and Sudan.
These countries are reporting higher-than-usual numbers of dengue cases, and travelers visiting these countries may be at increased health risk.
This CDC notice was initially published on August 27, 2019.
In the U.S., Florida issued a state-based alert in 2023 regarding both locally-acquired and travel-related dengue cases.
Dengue is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by viruses spread through mosquito bites. The disease can take up to 2 weeks to develop, with illness generally lasting less than a week.
In severe cases, health effects can include bleeding, shock, organ failure, and death.
Recently, dengue outbreaks of significant magnitude have been recorded in the Region of the Americas, with close to three million suspected and confirmed cases of dengue reported in 2023.
As of July 23, 2023, two dengue vaccines are being offered in certain countries.
Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) today announced a second human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) infection in Dallas County for 2023.
The female patient is a City of Dallas resident and was diagnosed with West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND.)
As of July 22, 2023, there have not been any WNV-related fatalities in Dallas.
“Mosquito activity continues in Dallas County, and we are now reporting the second human case of West Nile Virus of the 2023 season. WNV is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito, and people should be careful when going out outside to enjoy outdoor activities,” said Dr. Philip Huang, DCHHS Director.
DCHHS also reported this week:
- Positive Mosquito Traps = 85
- Positive Mosquito Pools = 81
As of July 18, 2023, the U.S. CDC reported 12 states had confirmed 47 WNV cases and 33 WNND in 2023. The majority of these cases were reported in Arizona.
In 2022, there were over 1,100 WNV cases in the U.S.
WNV infected mosquitoes can transmit WNV to humans, and severe infections can cause neurologic complications such as encephalitis. Milder symptoms include fever, headache, and muscle aches, says the CDC.
No vaccine or specific treatment for WNV is approved by the U.S. FDA.
The U.S. Department of State recently reissued a Level 3 Reconsider Travel advisory for Trinidad and Tobago, a dual-island nation in the West Indies east of Venezuela.
As of July 17, 2023, the State Department said visitors should exercise increased caution in Trinidad and Tobago due to civil unrest and crime.
And U.S. government personnel are prohibited from traveling to the following areas in Port of Spain: Laventille, Beetham, Sea Lots, Cocorite, and the interior of Queen's Park Savannah.
After dark, U.S. government personnel are prohibited from traveling to downtown Port of Spain, Fort George Overlook, and all beaches.
For assistance, the U.S. Embassy Port of Spain is located at 15 Queen's Park West.
If you decide to travel to Trinidad and Tobago, the U.S. government suggests enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
From a health perspective, the U.S. CDC suggests prospective visitors speak with a healthcare provider about travel vaccinations no less than one month before traveling.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative recently reported seven countries reported polio-related detections in mid-July 2023.
As of July 19, 2023, the following polio outbreaks were announced:
- Chad: five cVDPV2 cases
- Congo: one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample
- DR Congo: eight cVDPV1 cases, 16 cVDPV2 cases and two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
- Madagascar: eight cVDPV1-positive environmental samples
- Somalia: three cVDPV2-positive environmental samples
- Tanzania: one cVDPV2 case
- Zambia: one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample
The World Health Organization and UNICEF announced on July 18, 2023, they are working with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and other partners to deliver the global Immunization Agenda 2030, a strategy for all countries and relevant global partners to achieve set goals on preventing diseases (such as polio) through immunization and delivering vaccines to everyone, everywhere, at every age.
