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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director today endorsed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendation that people 65 years and older and those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised receive a second dose of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine six months after their first dose.
Announced on October 23, 2024, these updated recommendations also allow for flexibility for additional doses (3 or more) for moderately or severely immunocompromised people in consultation with their healthcare provider, known by the CDC as shared clinical decision-making.
In a press release, CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen stated, "This vote allows people to make the best decisions possible to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from COVID-19. CDC will continue to educate the public on how and when to get updated vaccinations so they can risk less severe illness and do more of what they love."
While the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) says locally acquired dengue is rare in LA County, this year's infections will differ from 2023.
Last year, only two cases of locally acquired dengue were identified in Long Beach and Pasadena.
As of October 24, 2024, LACDPH has confirmed 9 cases of locally acquired dengue. Before their symptoms, these San Gabriel Valley residents had no history of travel to places where dengue is common.
These people live in Baldwin Park (6), Panorama City (1), and El Monte (2).
Since residents of LA County travel year-round, cases can occur at any time of year.
Most dengue cases in LA County involve traveling to countries where dengue outbreaks occur, such as the Caribbean (Puerto Rico), Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific islands.
This year, 123 travel-related dengue cases have been confirmed in LA County, compared with 75 cases reported in LA County in 2023.
To alert international travelers of this health risk, the U.S. CDC reissued a Global Travel Health Notice on October 15, 2024, regarding Dengue outbreaks in 27 countries.
Dengue is a vaccine-preventable disease. However, protective vaccines will be unavailable in the U.S. in 2024.
The World Health Organization recently reported that measles outbreaks have been reported in 103 countries in the last five years. According to an updated travel advisory, outbreaks have expanded in 2024.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reissued a Global Level 1 Travel Health Advisory on October 18, 2024, that lists 56 countries impacted by measles outbreaks.
The CDC says international travelers are at risk of measles if they have not been fully vaccinated at least two weeks before departure or have not had measles in the past and travel internationally.
Even in the United States, measles outbreaks have been reported this year in Chicago, Oregon, and New York City.
As of October 17, 2024, a total 269 measles cases were reported by 32 U.S. jurisdictions.
Measles vaccines are generally available at health clinics and pharmacies in the U.S.
The U.S. CDC's Tom Shimabukuro, MD, MPH, MBA Influenza Division, presented an update on the recent Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HAPI) A (H5N1) outbreak in dairy herds in the United States.
The USDA has confirmed HPAI A(H5N1) in U.S. dairy herds in 324 farms across 14 states, resulting in about 26 human cases.
On October 23, 2024, Dr. Shimabukuro concluded that the overall risk to the public for HPAI A(H5N1) remains low. However, exposed individuals (Michigan, Texas) should be monitored for (pink eye) symptoms after the first exposure and for 10 days and treated with approved influenza antivirals.
The CDC disclosed HPAI A(H5N1)/HPAI A(H5) human cases have been confirmed in numerous countries since 1997.
Furthermore, the CDC clarified that seasonal flu shots are not designed to protect people from 'Bird or Cow Flu' exposure.
If you plan to travel, you may need to be vaccinated against some diseases in other parts of the world. Some vaccines must be given well in advance to allow your body to develop immunity.
For some vaccines to become protective, several doses spread over several weeks or months.
According to the U.K. travel office on October 22, 2024, prospective international travelers should visit a G.P. or a private travel clinic at least 6 to 8 weeks before traveling bread in 2024.
In the U.K., the NHS routine immunization schedule lists vaccines that protect people against multiple diseases but does not cover all infectious diseases found overseas.
Furthermore, some countries require proof of vaccination (meningitis, polio, or yellow fever), which must be documented on an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) before entering or leaving a country.
Even if an ICVP is not required, the U.K. recommends keeping a record of the vaccinations you have had with you, such as chikungunya, dengue, and measles.
In the United States, the CDC's travel advice website offers similar advice.
The U.S. CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is scheduled to review scientific data and vote on vaccine recommendations on October 23-24, 2024.
Dr. Keipp Talbot, ACIP Chair, will lead this ACIP meeting from Atlanta, GA.
The final agenda includes presentations on chikungunya, HPV, influenza, pneumococcal, and RSV vaccines. These discussions are open to the public and available online via live webcast.
Several committee votes are planned during this meeting. The vote language shown at this link is considered draft language.
Furthermore, ACIP recommendations become official CDC policy once adopted by the CDC's Director.
Since the last World Health Organization (WHO) report, new cholera outbreaks have been reported in Niger and Thailand, pushing the total number of affected countries in 2024 to 30.
As of the end of September 2024, a cumulative total of 439,724 cholera cases and 3,432 deaths were reported across five WHO regions.
Although the number of cases is lower than last year, the 126% spike in deaths is deeply concerning, says the WHO.
Unfortunately, the WHO has reported that as of October 14, 2024, the global stockpile of Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) is depleted, with no remaining doses available.
However, in the United States, travel vaccine clinics and pharmacies have confirmed supplies of OCVs.
With the global expansion of the chikungunya, dengue, and zika viruses in 2024, many publishers are challenged to present outbreak data in a balanced voice and tone in the media.
The lessons learned from the recent pandemic indicate that people want to read the data as soon as possible, whether published as a pre-print or peer-reviewed. With new information, people can privately confer with their healthcare providers about personal health actions such as vaccination.
A recent Editorial published by The Lancet Infectious Diseases on October 15, 2024, encapsulated these concerns regarding the sudden Oropouche virus outbreak in the Region of the Americas, such as in Brazil and Cuba.
These researchers wrote, "While such early data are key to understanding and tackling outbreaks, they come with considerable uncertainty and raise questions about how to report and publish them responsibly."
"However, we believe knowledge will inform public health responses, focus resources, and garner urgency in studying the virus further, which is the first step to prevention and treatment."
The full, unedited Editorial is posted at this link.
The steady progress towards a polio-free world has been successful for over three and a half decades. According to a recent announcement, the achievement of this goal has been delayed.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) announced on October 17, 2024, that billions of children have been protected with lifesaving immunizations. More than 20 million people are walking who would otherwise have been paralyzed by this dreadful disease.
The polio program is now concentrated in some of the most complicated and fragile settings to deliver essential healthcare.
Recognizing these challenges, the GPEI’s Polio Oversight Board decided in July 2024 to extend the timelines needed to achieve polio eradication to the end of 2027 for wild poliovirus.
And the end of 2029 for type 2 variant poliovirus.
The Board's decision was informed by critical analysis and expert consultations, and extended timelines require additional financial resources to support ongoing eradication activities.
These shifts are being driven by partners' expertise and a program-wide commitment to double down on the toughest but most critical challenges standing between us and a future without polio, wrote the GPEI.
On October 17, 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported poliovirus outbreaks that had caused 672 confirmed polio cases over the past year and a half.
The CDC also reissued a Global Travel Health Notice in August 2024 to alert international travelers, confirming 37 countries report poliovirus detections. People are encouraged to speak with a travel vaccine expert at least one month before visiting any of these countries about immunization options.
