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The World Health Organization says streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths globally, and new, innovative vaccines are needed to curtail this disease.
To address this need, Vaxcyte, Inc. recently announced that the first study participants had been dosed in the second and final stage of the ongoing Phase 2 study of VAX-31 in healthy infants.
This clinical study evaluates the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of VAX-31, a 31-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) candidate designed to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in healthy infants.
“PCVs have demonstrated the ability to deliver herd immunity to protect against devastating diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, and our technology has the potential to deliver best-in-class PCVs with broader coverage for both infants and adults,” said Jim Wassil, Executive Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer of Vaxcyte, in a press release on February 5, 2025.
“Based on the body of positive evidence from the VAX-31 and VAX-24 adult Phase 1/2 programs, we believe our carrier-sparing platform has the potential to set a new standard in disease coverage.”
The Company expects to share topline data from the primary three-dose immunization series of the study in mid-2026, followed by topline data from the booster dose approximately nine months later.
In children under five. Pneumococci also cause over 50% of all cases of bacterial meningitis in the U.S. And pneumococcal pneumonia is estimated to result in approximately 150,000 hospitalizations yearly.
And Streptococcus pneumoniae is among the top antibiotic-resistant pathogens to be urgently addressed, and the U.S. CDC lists drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae as a “serious threat.”
This indicates the need for expanding PCV vaccinations is essential.
With the detections of the Eurasian H5 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds, domestic poultry, and mammals over the past few years, Canada took action today to prepare for a pandemic.
As of February 19, 2025, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and its partners have secured an initial supply of 500,000 doses of GSK's human vaccine against HAPI infections – Arepanrix H5N1 A/American wigeon clade 2.3.4.4b.
This U.S. FDA-approved vaccine will be part of Canada's contingency planning. PHAC will provide vaccines to provinces and territories using an equitable and risk-based approach. Sixty percent of available doses will go to provinces and territories, and 40 percent will be kept in a federal stockpile.
It is common to detect avian influenza in wild birds, as viruses circulate freely in those populations without the birds appearing sick. While the current risk to the public remains low, individuals with higher-level exposure to infected animals are at increased risk for avian influenza.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, commented in a press release, "By making human vaccines against avian influenza available for potential use in individuals at increased risk of exposure to avian influenza as part of our readiness, we are enhancing our capacity to protect people in Canada and respond rapidly to emerging public health challenges."
The health agencies of the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Europe, and China have already approved and purchased avian influenza vaccines.
The continued detection of poliovirus in wastewater in 2025 signals the ongoing risk to children in the Gaza Strip. The virus poses a severe risk to children with low or no immunity throughout the region.
As poliovirus is found to remain in the environment, additional vaccination efforts are needed to strengthen population immunity.
Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a third polio vaccination campaign to protect more children from this debilitating disease.
As of February 19, 2025, the WHO confirmed that over 591,000 children under 10 will receive the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) in late February to protect them from polio.
Two previous vaccination rounds in the Gaza Strip were conducted in September and October 2024, and they reached over 95% of the target.
According to the WHO and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the nOPV2 vaccine, which has been 'triple-locked' using genetic engineering to prevent it from becoming harmful and producing a mutation, has been deployed over 1 billion times over the last few years.
To alert international travelers to this polio risk, the U.S. CDC updated its Level 2 Practice Enhanced Precautions, Global Polio Advisory, on January 14, 2025. The CDC says that before any trip to known poliovirus areas, you should ensure you are up to date on your polio vaccines.
In the United States, the single-antigen inactivated poliovirus vaccine has been available at clinics and pharmacies since 2000.
The Texas Department of State Health Services today is reporting an expansion of the measles outbreak in Texas.
As of February 18, 2025, the South Plains region has confirmed that 58 cases have been identified with symptom onset within the last three weeks. Fifty-four of these measles patients are unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status.
Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional outbreaks are likely to occur in Gaines County, Lubbock, Lynn, Terry, and Yoakum countries in western Texas.
DSHS released a media release stating it 'is working with South Plains Public Health District and Lubbock Public Health to investigate the outbreak.'
Just a few miles west of this Texas outbreak, the New Mexico Department of Health reported three residents tested positive for measles in February 2025.
Earlier in 2025, two measles cases were reported in the greater Houston area.
In 2024, the leading measles outbreaks in the U.S. were reported in Minnesota (70) and Illinois (67).
From a prevention perspective, the MMR vaccine has been found to be very effective against measles outbreaks. This vaccine is generally available at clinics and pharmacies throughout the United States.
Without an approved Lyme disease vaccine available, many people who enjoy the outdoors have concerns about planning hikes for Spring 2025. According to the World Health Organization, Lyme disease cases are common and expanding in Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
But there is hope on the horizon.
Vaneva SE announced on February 18, 2025, that the first data readout for the Lyme disease vaccine candidate (VLA15) phase 3 is expected by the end of 2025.
This indicates that regulatory agencies may consider authorization in 2026. Valneva'shler, Valneva's Chief Financial Officer, commented in a press release, "Once again, we successfully delivered double-digit sales growth ...We made significant clinical and regulatory progress last year, setting the stage for several important catalysts to drive value in 2025, most notably with the first Phase 3 study results for our lead Lyme disease vaccine candidate, VLA15."
VLA15 is a multivalent recombinant protein vacBorrelia'sting Borrelia's outer surface protein A (OspA). It is designed for protective, active immunization against most human pathogenic Borrelia species. OspA is one of the most dominant surface proteins expressed by the bacteria when present in a tick bite.
A study published in late 2024 determined that 50% of adult blacklegged ticks carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, while up to 25% of the younger (nymph) blacklegged ticks carry the bacteria.
Until a preventive vaccine becomes commercially available, avoiding tick bites is the best way to prevent Lyme disease.
CSL and Arcturus Therapeutics recently announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for KOSTAIVE ®, a self-amplifying mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, for individuals 18 and older.
KOSTAIVE (ARCT-154)is the first sa-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to receive approval from the EC.
"KOSTAIVE and sa-mRNA technology signify a major advancement in vaccine innovation, providing the potential for broader and more enduring protection," said Joseph Payne, CEO of Arcturus, in a press release on February 14, 2025.
"This approval highlights the clinical promise of KOSTAIVE and its ability to protect against the ever-changing COVID-19 virus."
Unlike standard mRNA vaccines, self-amplifying mRNA vaccines instruct the body to make more mRNA and protein to boost the immune response.
KOSTAIVE is currently marketed in Japan against COVID-19.
