Search API
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today announced the mpox outbreak in Chicago, Illinois, has reached 40 individuals.
As of June 23, 2023, the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report confirmed that mpox vaccine breakthrough cases were reported to the Chicago Department of Public Health.
The observed proportion of cases among persons who had received JYNNEOS® (MVA-BN) smallpox/mpox or ACAM2000 smallpox vaccines in this cluster was unusual.
Mpox breakthrough cases averaged eight months since the last vaccination.
During March 18–June 12, 2023, 40 laboratory-confirmed mpox cases were identified in Chicago, including 22 (55%), five (13%), and 13 (33%), respectively, among patients who had received two doses of JYNNEOS or one dose of ACAM2000 vaccine, those who had received one vaccine dose of JYNNEOS vaccine, and those who had not received any vaccines for mpox.
All cases occurred among persons assigned male sex at birth; 37 (93%) identified as male and 28 (70%) as gay.
The median age was 33 (IQR = 23–49).
Eleven (28%) patients were living with HIV, 10 of whom had received two doses of JYNNEOS or one dose of ACAM2000 vaccine and whose HIV was well-controlled (CD4 count >200 cells/mm3 and viral load <200 viral copies/mL).
Three (8%) patients experienced concurrent sexually transmitted infections during mpox diagnosis.
Of six live births, two neonates developed lesions within one week after their mothers became symptomatic.
This investigation is ongoing. However, no similar clusters are being seen elsewhere in the U.S.
Preliminary sequencing indicates the virus is the same B.1 variant of Clade IIB, the predominant variant of the 2022–2023 outbreak.
The CDC wrote that this increase in mpox cases before significant summer events scheduled nationwide and in Chicago raised concerns about possible future case increases.
Although the cause of this cluster has not yet been determined, leading hypotheses include a potentially high number of sexual exposures in a network with many vaccinated persons, decreased vaccine effectiveness due to waning of humoral immunity, or vaccine mishandling or administration errors.
Mpox outbreak news and other sexually transmitted disease vaccine news are posted by Precision Vaccinations.
Throughout 2023, Chikungunya outbreaks have been reported in various countries in the Region of the Americas.
On June 22, 2023, Susan Hills, MBBS, MTH, led the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) Chikungunya Vaccines Work Group presentation, highlighting the ongoing outbreak in the Republic of Paraguay.
As of June 4, 2023, 167,239 Chikungunya cases and 263 related deaths in 2023.
Furthermore, Paraguay's geographic neighbors Argentina, Brazil, and Uraguy have been impacted.
To alert international travelers, the CDC issued a Level 1 - Practice Usual Precautions Travel Health Notice in April 2023.
From 2006–2021, 4,590 chikungunya cases in travelers were confirmed in the U.S.
Chikungunya outbreaks are caused by the chikungunya virus and is spread to humans through mosquito bites. The CDC stated that people at risk for severe disease include infants, older adults, and those with comorbidities.
People should seek medical care if they develop fever, joint pain, headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash.
Unfortunately, the CDC has not recommended a preventive vaccine in 2023.
There are two Chikungunya vaccine candidates conducting late-stage clinical trials.
The VLA1553 monovalent, single-dose, live-attenuated vaccine candidate has been assigned a U.S. FDA Prescription Drug User Fee Act review goal date at the end of August 2023 and has filed a regulatory application with Health Canada.
Additionally, the CDC reviewed surveys on June 22, 2023, regarding awareness of chikungunya and the value of a chikungunya vaccine among travelers.
Only 18% had heard of chikungunya before the survey, and few were aware of pending vaccine approvals.
The U.S. CDC recently published new guidance on Measles during the summer of 2023. Measles outbreaks are occurring in all World Health Organization regions.
Over the past year, measles outbreaks have been reported in the European, African, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Pacific, and Southeast Asian regions.
On June 21, 2023, Health Alert Network Health Advisory (CDCHAN-00493) offered guidance for measles prevention to international travelers and to be on alert for future measles cases in 2023.
The measles virus is contagious and easily spread while flying in an airplane or riding in buses or trains.
As of June 8, 2023, CDC has been notified of 16 confirmed U.S. measles cases across 11 jurisdictions, with 88% linked to international travel.
Based on current estimates, twice as many Americans are planning to travel internationally in 2023 compared with 2022. Many countries and popular travel destinations
To prevent measles infection and spread from importation, all U.S. residents should be up to date on their measles vaccinations, especially before international travel, regardless of the destination.
As of June 22, 2023, various measles vaccines are authorized worldwide.
GSK plc today announced new data from the AReSVi-006 phase III trial evaluating the efficacy of a single dose of AREXVY™ against lower respiratory tract disease caused by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in adults aged 60 years and older over multiple RSV seasons and after annual revaccination.
The results presented on June 21, 2023, show that one dose of AREXVY is efficacious against RSV-LRTD and severe LRTD over two full RSV seasons.
In a press release, Tony Wood, Chief Scientific Officer of GSK, stated, "These data show the efficacy of a single dose of our vaccine over two RSV seasons against RSV-LRTD, including in the populations most at risk due to age or underlying medical conditions."
"This reinforces our confidence in its potential to make a significant public health impact."
"We look forward to discussing these results with regulators and vaccine recommending bodies and collecting more data from the ongoing clinical development program."
As of June 2023, there are two approved RSV vaccines for older people in the U.S.
UPDATE - The ACIP voted to recommend AREXVY on June 21, 2023.
News18 recently reported the U.K.'s Science, Innovation, and Technology Committee was informed the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is highly likely heading in its direction, thanks to climate change.
We don't know what will arrive until it does, was a comment shared during the meeting on June 14, 2023.
Last year, the U.K. Health Security Agency confirmed a case of CCHF in England in a woman who had recently traveled to Central Asia. This was only the third case of CCHF imported to the U.K.
Outbreaks have been confirmed in Iraq, Namibia, and Pakistani in 2023. In Iraq, there were 219 confirmed cases of CCHF from January 2022 to late June 2022.
First described in the Crimean Peninsula in 1944, CCHF is endemic in all of Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East, and Asia, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO says CCHF is a viral disease spread via ticks with a fatality rate of between 10 and 40%.
Human-to-human transmission of CCHF has been reported following close contact with blood, secretions, or other bodily fluids of infected persons. And cases have been reported among health workers caring for infected people.
Regarding preventive vaccines, the WHO published an overview of CCHF vaccine candidates.
And in March 2023, eBioMedicine published a study that supported further development of the ChAd platform expressing the CCHFV GPC to seek an effective vaccine against CCHFV.
In the U.K., no licensed human vaccine or approved medication targeting CCHF is available as of June 20, 2023.
The U.S. CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is scheduled to conduct an in-person and digital meeting beginning on June 21, 2023.
This three-day ACIP meeting will debate and vote on various vaccine recommendations, such as Respiratory Syncytial Virus vaccines for older adults.
Please see the agenda for the time and day.
Anyone can attend the digital meeting for free to listen and learn how the U.S. government makes vaccine recommendations.
The ACIP comprises medical and public health experts who develop recommendations on the use of vaccines in the civilian population of the U.S. The recommendations are public health guidance for safe use of vaccines and related biological products.
The Committee's recommendations are forwarded to CDC's Director for approval. Once approved, they are published in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
And ACIP's recommendations result in the official U.S. adult and childhood immunization schedules.
Bavarian Nordic A/S today announced today the initial safety and immunogenicity results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 clinical trial of a virus-like particle (VLP)-based chikungunya virus (CHIKV) vaccine candidate CHIKV VLP (PXVX0317) in healthy adults.
The initial results up to Day 22 post-vaccination showed that CHIKV VLP was immunogenic in healthy adults ≥65 years of age, as demonstrated by a strong induction of CHIKV neutralizing antibodies in 87% of vaccinees with neutralizing antibody titres exceeding the threshold agreed with authorities as a marker of seroprotection, thus meeting the primary endpoints of the study.
Importantly, seroprotective neutralizing antibodies were also observed in most subjects (82%) at Day 15 post the single vaccination, demonstrating a fast onset of protection for the VLP-based CHIKV vaccine candidate.
This clinical trial will continue for a 6-month follow-up for both safety and immunogenicity.
Paul Chaplin, President and CEO of Bavarian Nordic, said in a press release on June 20, 2023, “While we still await the results from the second and larger Phase 3 study in adolescents and adults later this year, these highly encouraging results provide a high degree of confidence for our CHIKV vaccine program.”
Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease caused by the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), causing outbreaks in over 100 countries as of 2023.
From 2006–2021, 4,590 chikungunya cases in U.S. travelers were reported to the U.S. CDC.
While mortality is low, morbidity is high; nearly 50% of individuals with CHIKV disease have debilitating long-term symptoms that can intensify with age.
Additional Chikungunya vaccine news is posted by Precision Vaccinations.
