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Health authorities recently reported a yellow fever virus outbreak in the Republic of Colombia.
As of November 7, 2024, the government announced that 26 yellow fever cases were reported primarily in the Tolima province during 2024.
For this reason, Columbia's Ministry of Health and Social Protection and regional health authorities activated the "Epidemic Logical Barrier."
One of the measures taken was to advance a mass vaccination campaign in the priority municipalities. This vaccination activity was carried out on November 2, 2024. In Columbia, the Stamaril yellow fever vaccine is available.
As of week #35 of 2024, 38 confirmed cases of yellow fever have been reported in the Americas Region, including 19 deaths. Outbreaks were reported mainly throughout the Amazon region of Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, and Guyana.
Yellow fever is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes. Its symptoms may include fever, muscle aches, headache, and, in some severe cases, jaundice and bleeding. The fatality rate is up to 50%. Early identification of symptoms is crucial as they can be confused with other diseases.
According to the U.S. CDC, yellow fever vaccination is required and/or recommended for visitors, depending upon specific criteria. In the U.S., the YF-Vax vaccine is available at travel vaccine clinics and pharmacies in 2024.
The CDC has also alerted visitors to Columbia of health risks for chikungunya, dengue, and, most recently, Oropouche outbreaks.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced in early 2024, then in October 2024, that the global demand (74 million) for oral cholera vaccine (OCV) has exceeded the supply (38 million). According to news announced today, the OCV shortage could be ending.
Valneva SE announced on November 7, 2024, that DUKORAL® sales in the third quarter of 2024 grew 85% year-over-year as marketing investments resumed following a successful regulatory inspection of the company’s new vaccine manufacturing site in Sweden.
The WHO has prequalified the DUKORAL vaccine, and it is authorized in Europe, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United Kingdom to protect people against cholera and Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.
Dukoral is used in people aged from 2 years who will be visiting areas with a high risk of cholera.
The WHO classified the global resurgence of cholera as a grade 3 emergency. As of the end of September 2024, a total of 439,724 cholera cases and 3,432 deaths were reported across five WHO regions this year.
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024. The Company's press release disclosed that Third-Quarter 2024 total revenues were $293.8 million, an increase of 9% compared to the prior year.
And that revenues from Smallpox Medical Countermeasures (MCM) products increased 437% compared with Q3 2023.
Smallpox MCM revenues were $108.0 million from ACAM2000®, VIGIV, and TEMBEXA® product transactions. The revenue increase was primarily due to the timing of U.S. government purchases of ACAM2000® and VIGIV.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded Emergent a contract in September 2019 valued at approximately $2 billion over ten years for the continued supply of ACAM2000 into the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile.
"Through disciplined execution and steady, measurable progress, Emergent's financial position is the strongest it has been since 2021, as evidenced by our favorable third-quarter results," stated CEO Joe Papa on November 6, 2024.
ACAM2000 is a second-generation live vaccinia virus, cell-cultured, replication-competent, single-dose vaccine that protects people against mpox and smallpox diseases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) published 'Vaccines and Immunization for mpox: Interim Guidance, as did the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which expanded access via the Investigational New Drug Protocol, allowing ACAM2000 use to prevent mpox on June 30, 2022.
In August 2024, the WHO declared the increasing number of mpox cases reported in the African Region a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced the Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM) for mpox has allocated an initial 899,000 vaccine doses for nine countries across the African region that are hit hard by the current Clade Ib mpox surge.
By the end of 2024, over 5.85 million vaccine doses are expected to be available to the Mpox Vaccines AAM.
As of November 6, 2024, the most significant number of JYNNEOS vaccine doses, 85% of the allocation, will go to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the most affected country, reporting 80% of laboratory-confirmed mpox cases in Africa in 2024.
Limited vaccination with Bavarian Nordic A/S MVA-BN® (JYNNEOS®) has recently begun in the DRC and Rwanda.
The Mediterranean coast of France is known to many vacationers for its lovely scenery and world-class resorts. In 2023, southern Europe alone accounted for about 500 million arrivals.
However, in 2024, mainland France may experience a record number of mosquito-transmitted diseases, mainly along the Mediterranean.
As of October 30, 2024, Public Health France reported over 4,000 imported cases of dengue, 18 of chikungunya, and 5 of Zika virus in 2024.
Furthermore, the European CDC recently confirmed that 82 locally-acquired dengue cases have been reported in Var (38), Alpes-Maritimes (19 cases), Vaucluse (18), and other departments.
While France has not yet declared dengue endemic, cases in 2024 have eclipsed the entire 2023 mosquito season. In 2023, France only reported 45 autochthonous (local) dengue infections.
From a disease prevention perspective, chikungunya and dengue have approved vaccines available, but Zika vaccine candidates have yet to be authorized in 2024.
While the U.S. CDC does not suggest these vaccines when visiting France, they are generally available in 2024. The CDC recommends that international travelers speak with a vaccine expert at least one month before traveling abroad.
GSK today announced that AREXVY has been approved in Canada to prevent lower respiratory tract disease caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in adults 50-59 years of age at increased risk for RSV disease.
In Canada, the vaccine was previously approved for use in adults aged 60 and older and is strongly recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) for all adults 75 years and older and those aged 60 and above in nursing homes and other chronic care facilities. NACI also recommends that adults aged 60-74 may consider RSV vaccination in consultation with a health care provider.
Michelle Horn, Interim Country Medical Director, GSK, said in a press release on November 5, 2024, “The natural age-related decline in immune function we all experience, which can increase our vulnerability to viruses like RSV, becomes more evident the older we get. Not surprisingly, the incidence of RSV-associated hospitalizations in adults starts to increase at the age of 50. For adults with underlying medical conditions, RSV can worsen these conditions and lead to serious consequences. We are proud to be the first to provide a vaccine to help protect Canadians aged 50-59 at increased risk of lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV.”
As part of the Immunisation Agenda 2030, a World Health Organization (WHO) study published today in eBioMedicine named 17 pathogens that regularly cause diseases in communities as top priorities for new vaccine development.
In five out of six WHO regions, annual child deaths and contribution to antimicrobial resistance were the most heavily weighted criteria.
“Too often global decisions on new vaccines have been solely driven by return on investment, rather than by the number of lives that could be saved in the most vulnerable communities,” said Dr Kate O’Brien, Director of the Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals Department at WHO, in a press release on November 5, 2024.
Pathogens where vaccines are approaching regulatory approval, policy recommendation, or introduction
- Dengue virus
- Group B Streptococcus
- Extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB)
- RSV
Pathogens where vaccine research is needed
- Group A streptococcus
- Hepatitis C virus
- HIV-1
- Klebsiella pneumoniae
Pathogens where vaccines need to be further developed
- Cytomegalovirus
- Influenza virus (broadly protective vaccine)
- Leishmania species
- Non-typhoidal Salmonella
- Norovirus
- Plasmodium falciparum (malaria)
- Shigella species
- Staphylococcus aureus
This global prioritization exercise for endemic pathogens complements the WHO R&D blueprint for epidemics, identifying priority pathogens that could cause future epidemics or pandemics.
The U.K. Health Security Agency (UKSHA) announced today that two cases of Clade Ib mpox are currently under specialist care at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London, England.
These are household contacts of the first mpox case reported last week.
As of November 4, 2024, this news brings the total number of confirmed mpox cases to three in London. These mpox cases are unrelated to the May 2022 Clade II outbreak.
In a press release, Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said, "Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact, so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household."
"The overall risk to the U.K. population remains low. We are working with partners to ensure all contacts of the cases are identified and contacted to reduce the risk of further spread."
All contacts will be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.
In the U.K., the Bavarian Nordic A/S IMVAMUNE® (JYNNEOS®, MVA-BN®) mpox / smallpox vaccine is available in 2024.
