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The European Commission (EC) recently confirmed it will facilitate the uptake of the EU Digital COVID certificate by the World Health Organization (WHO) and contribute to its operation and further development.
The EU Digital COVID certificate has been issued to over 2.3 billion people.
This means about fifty-one countries can begin accessing the WHO's Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN) on July 1, 2023.
This global verification of health document system is designed to deliver better health for all.
The GDHCN's digital capabilities may include verification of vaccinations and prescriptions across country borders, verification of vaccination certificates within borders, the International Patient Summary, and certification of public health professionals through the WHO Academy.
And these capabilities include using EU privacy standards and validating digital signatures to prevent fraud.
However, the WHO will not have access to any underlying personal data, which would continue to be the exclusive domain of national governments.
This digital infrasctrure was initially presented on January 27, 2021, and confirmed in June 2023.
As of July 5, 2023, the U.S. government has not announced its official participation in the GDHCN.
U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin and Thom Tillis introduced the Disease X Act of 2023 to develop the necessary medical countermeasures (MCMs) to combat future pandemics.
The legislation filed on June 28, 2023, provides $40 million per year for five years specifically for Disease X MCMs and requires products developed using funding from the Disease X Program.
Even though deadly infectious disease epidemics can dramatically affect the American public, military personnel, and our economic and national security, there is currently no sustained funding, program, or strategy dedicated to accelerating the development of medical countermeasures for previously identified infectious disease threats with the greatest pandemic potential, referred to as Disease X, wrote these senators.
"The Disease X Act of 2023 empowers Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to invest in modern technologies that will lead to new vaccines and drugs against pandemic–capable viruses."
The Disease X Act of 2023 protects Americans by establishing a Disease X Medical Countermeasures Program at BARDA in the Department of Health and Human Services by the following:
- Providing funding of $40 million per year for five years specifically for Disease X MCMs;
- Clarifying the HHS may award contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements, or enter into other transactions, to promote the development of Disease X MCMs;
- Directing BARDA to accelerate and support the advanced research, development, and procurement of countermeasures and products to address Disease X threats; and
- Requiring products developed using the Disease X Program funding be substantially manufactured in the United States.
"This Act would be a major leap forward in our collective efforts to stay ahead of the ever-evolving threat landscape," commented Anita Cicero, Deputy Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, in a press release.
"The Disease X Act of 2023 empowers BARDA to invest in modern technologies that will lead to new vaccines and drugs against pandemic–capable viruses."
Following the reduced demand for access to digital COVID-19 test and vaccine records through the epass.ny.gov portal and the official ending of the pandemic in the U.S., the NYS Wallet that hosts the Excelsior Pass Plus vaccine credential was disconnected as of July 28, 2023.
Since the NYS Wallet app will be removed from app stores, new users cannot log in and register for it.
The app was launched in March 2021 and was eventually used by 11.5 million people.
Media reported various consulting contracts, with over $200 million in spending, are currently the subject of an investigation by the state Office of the Inspector General.
Hazel Crampton-Hays, a spokeswoman for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, said in a statement reported by Joshua Solomon with the Times Union, "Going forward, the state will use the knowledge gained from this project to improve how New Yorkers can use technology to access services and benefits."
The Excelsior Pass Plus and the NYS Wallet Apps provided a secure digital copy of vaccination records, including vaccine type, site, and date of vaccination, validated by the State of New York.
The State of New York says the data collected continues to be private and secure.
The state has set up an "Excelsior Help Desk," which can be reached at 844-699-7277 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., to assist those with questions or concerns about their vaccination records.
Internationally, the World Health Organization confirmed launching a digital health partnership on July 1, 2023, that will help protect citizens worldwide from ongoing and future health threats, including pandemics.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently expanded its Level 1 - Practice Usual Precautions, Travel Health Notice regarding measles outbreaks.
The CDC identified 38 countries with active measles outbreaks on June 29, 2023.
The leader is India, with over 73,000 measles cases.
Historically, measles outbreaks in the U.S. are rare, generally related to unvaccinated travelers. This year, the CDC has reported 15 measles cases in eleven jurisdictions.
Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air by direct contact with infectious droplets or by airborne spread when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. Furthermore, the measles virus can live for up to two hours in airspace after an infected person leaves an area.
And infected people can spread measles up to four days before and four days after a rash appears.
The good news is measles is a vaccine-preventable disease.
Approved measles vaccines are generally available at clinics and pharmacies in the U.S.
Reuters recently reported the European Commission secured purchase agreements with New York-based Pfizer Inc. and several European drugmakers to reserve the capacity to produce up to 325 million vaccines per year in case of a future global health emergency.
On June 30, 2023, Reuters confirmed this new agreement covers mRNA, vector-based and protein-based vaccines and does not relate to existing COVID-19 vaccine agreements.
The Commission helps to shape the European Union's (EU) overall strategy, proposes new laws and policies, monitors their implementation, and manages the budget. It also plays a significant role in supporting international development and delivering aid.
To facilitate safe free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU established the EU Digital COVID Certificate in 2023, based on the EU Global Health and World Health Organization (WHO) Global Strategies on digital health.
On July 1, 2023, the WHO took up the EU system of digital COVID-19 certification (passports) to establish a global system that will help protect citizens worldwide from on-going and future health threats, including pandemics.
The U.S. Embassy in Paris recently issued another Security Alert regarding demonstrations in the greater Paris region and other major urban centers in France.
As of June 30, 2023, the embassy is aware of potential security risks surrounding events expected to occur in Paris and the Paris region.
The embassy urges U.S. citizens to avoid these events and follow general guidelines regarding gatherings.
Previous Security Alerts can be found on this website.
The U.S. Embassy in Paris can be contacted at +33 (1) 43 12 22 22 or [email protected]. Additionally, U.S. citizens are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive security updates from the Department of State.
As of June 2, 2023, the U.S. Department of State's Level 2 advisory says visitors to France should exercise increased caution due to civil unrest.
And incidents such as pickpocketing and phone snatchings occur frequently and can happen anywhere, especially in crowded areas such as airports, train stations, subway and train cars, and near tourist attractions.
As always, it is a good practice to notify friends or family of your whereabouts, says the U.S. government.
From a health perspective, the CDC suggests various travel vaccinations when visiting France in 2023.
This article was updated on June 3, 2023, with State Department reference and link.
Measles is an ongoing risk worldwide in the summer of 2023, often due to low vaccination rates, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
To alert travelers, the CDC recently reissued and expanded its Level 1 - Practice Usual Precautions, Global Measles Travel Health Notice.
On June 29, 2023, the CDC identified 38 countries with active measles outbreaks, which are declared when the number of cases is higher than expected.
The unfortunate leaders are India (73,536) and Yemen (19,312).
Historically, measles outbreaks in the U.S. are rare, generally related to unvaccinated travelers.
However, in 2019, 1,274 measles cases were confirmed in 31 U.S. states.
This year, the CDC reported 15 measles cases in jurisdictions such as Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and Utah.
Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air by direct contact with infectious droplets or by airborne spread when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes.
The measles virus can live for up to two hours in airspace after an infected person leaves an area.
People can spread measles up to four days before and four days after a rash.
Several groups are more likely to suffer from measles complications, including children younger than five years of age, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems, such as leukemia or HIV infection, says the CDC.
The good news is measles is a vaccine-preventable disease, and approved measles vaccines are generally available at health clinics and community pharmacies in the U.S.
Furthermore, the CDC suggests confirming with a healthcare provider international travelers need an extra measles vaccination before visiting an outbreak country.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) recently reported the global cholera outbreak continues into the summer of 2023. While cholera in travelers is sporadic, outbreak settings do pose health risks.
The ECDC confirmed 412,137 cholera cases, including 2,130 related deaths, have been reported worldwide as of June 21, 2023.
In comparison, only 400 cholera deaths were reported during the same period in 2022.
In the Region of the Americas, Haiti continues to lead in cases and deaths.
Since January 2023 and as of early June 2023, over 26,000 cases, including 253 deaths, have been reported in Hati.
In comparison, in 2022, no cases were reported.
The good news is the island of Hispanola's eastern neighbor, the Dominican Republic, has reported very few cholera cases in 2023.
Visitors to Haiti should avoid unsafe food and water and wash their hands often to help prevent cholera, says the U.S. CDC.
Cholera is a vaccine-preventable disease. However, vaccination against cholera is not routinely recommended because most travelers do not visit areas of active transmission.
During 2023, cholera vaccines are in limited supply in the U.S.
The BMJ Journal recently published an Editorial confirming the rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI) are rising in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States (U.S.)
Published on June 30, 2023, these researchers stated ...We have the tools to respond (to these increases) and must deploy them urgently!
In June 2023, the U.K. Health Security Agency reported a 23.8% increase in STI diagnoses in 2022 compared with 2021, including chlamydia (24.3%), gonorrhea (50.3%), and syphilis (15.2%).
Similar trends have emerged in the U.S., where syphilis diagnoses rose by 28.6%.
And in Canada, where rates of syphilis rose by 20%.
This situation is important for a few reasons, wrote Patrick O’Byrne, full professor and nurse practitioner, University of Ottawa, School of Nursing, Lauren Orser, doctoral candidate, and Abigail Kroch, director, Ontario HIV Treatment Network.
Firstly, STIs cause harm, including pelvic inflammatory disease, disseminated gonococcal infection, and neurosyphilis.
Secondly, drug-resistant gonorrhea is now being reported internationally, showing the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
To read the full editorial, please visit this BMJ link.
Furthermore, there have been frequent reassurances of mpox cases and vaccine (JYNNEOS® (MVA-BN, IMVANEX®) breakthrough confirmations in 2023.
As of Ju;y 2023, mpox outbreaks have been identified in Chicago, Denver, London, New York, Paris, Seoul, and Tokyo.
In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration has approved vaccines that can prevent certain sexually transmitted diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. As of July 2, 2023, a STI vaccine overview was updated by Precision Vaccinations.
