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GC Biopharma recently announced that its flu vaccine GC FLU Quadrivalent Pre-filled syringe Intramuscular was approved by the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA).
As of July 18, 2023, this is the first approval the South Korea-based company had obtained for its flu vaccine from the Arab Republic of Egypt on the African continent. Egypt has one of the largest pharmaceutical markets in the African region.
Taking this EDA approval as an opportunity, GC Biopharma plans to expand its global presence further, which has been centering on Southeast Asia and Latin American regions to Africa and the Middle East.
Based on GC Biopharma's internationally recognized seasonal flu vaccine production technology, GC FLU has been expanding its export volume and number of markets yearly.
At the same time, the company will push ahead with entering into the private markets of individual countries based on its successful presence in the procurement markets of international organizations.
"The trend of moving away to quadrivalent flu vaccines is clear not only in the procurement market led by international organizations but also in the individual private markets," points out GC Biopharma in a press release on July 21, 2023, and further emphasizes, "We will target both international organizations' procurement markets as well as the private markets to draw synergy and boost our sales and profitability."
According to the company, the flu vaccine market divides into two parts: the procurement market of international organizations represented by the PAHO of WHO and the UNICEF; and the private markets of each country that supplies pharmaceuticals based on the approvals of respective authorities.
The WHO prequalified the GC FLU vaccine in 2016. There are nine manufacturers of WHO-prequalified influenza vaccines in 2023.
South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) today announced in a media statement that the year-long measles outbreak is effectively over.
However, sporadic measles cases are being reported in South Africa.
As of July 21, 2023, the NICD had tested 6,523 serum samples for measles since epidemiological week 40, 2022, of which 1,114 (17%) were confirmed positive.
Furthermore, the Limpopo province is currently completing a mop-up vaccination campaign.
The measles strain detected in Limpopo and North West province is genotype D8, similar to the strain in Zimbabwe in the 2022 measles outbreak.
Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes.
Globally, about 30 countries have reported measles outbreaks in 2023.
The U.S. CDC reissued a Level 1 Travel Health Advisory in late June 2023, confirming travelers are at risk of measles if they have not been fully vaccinated two weeks before departure or have not had measles in the past and travel internationally to areas where measles is spreading.
As of July 7, 2023, a total of 18 measles cases were reported by 12 jurisdictions in the U.S. Most of these cases were travel-related.
Various measles vaccines are available in the U.S. at health clinics and community pharmacies in 2023.
The journal Vaccines recently published the results from a study led by University of Pittsburgh scientists that found both recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV4) and standard-dose influenza vaccine (SD-IIV4) effectively prevent influenza hospitalization.
Of the 14,590 individuals included in the primary analysis, the overall RIV4 relative vaccine effectiveness (rVE) was significant when adjusted for propensity scores with inverse probability weights (rVE = 31; 95 % CI = 11 %, 46 %).
Among younger adults (18–64 years-old), overall rVE of RIV4 was significant (rVE = 29; 95 % CI = 4 %, 47 %).
These scientists wrote, "Both RIV4 and SD-IIV4 were significantly effective among all adults against influenza-related hospitalizations during the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 influenza seasons."
"Relative vaccine effectiveness of RIV4 compared with SD-IIV4 was significant for all adults and younger and healthier recipients."
On June 27, 2023, the CDC Director adopted the 2023-2024 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendations on annual influenza vaccination for everyone six months and older in the United States.
The CDC's recommended timing of flu vaccination has not changed.
September and October are the best times for most people to get vaccinated. Flu vaccination in July and August 2023 is not recommended for most people.
Disclosures: The University of Pittsburgh Institutional Review Board approved this retrospective study using EMR databases. Drs. Zimmerman, Raviotta, Nowalk, and Balasubramani received investigator-initiated grant funding from Sanofi for this project. Drs. Nowalk and Balasubramani have grant funding from Merck & Co., Inc. for an unrelated project.
The U.S. Department of State recently reissued its Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution notice for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
As of July 17, 2023, the State Department confirmed that most crime occurs on New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands.
In Nassau, practice increased vigilance in the “Over the Hill” area (south of Shirley Street).
Violent crimes, such as burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults, occur in tourist and non-tourist areas. And be vigilant when staying at short-term vacation rental properties where private security companies do not have a presence.
Additionally, vacation activities involving commercial, recreational watercraft, including water tours, are not consistently regulated.
As of July 1, 2023, U.S. Embassy Nassau issued form DS-2060, U.S. Department of State Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen or U.S. Non-Citizen National Abroad.
Due to these concerns, U.S. government personnel cannot use independently operated jet-ski rentals on New Providence and Paradise Islands.
If you travel to The Bahamas, the State Department advises enrolling in the Smart Traveler Program to make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
Should Americans need local assistance, the U.S. Embassy Nassau is located at #42 Queen Street.
From a health perspective, the U.S. CDC says to check your travel vaccines and medicines list and visit a healthcare provider at least a month before your trip to The Bahamas in 2023.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today published its Weekly Epidemiological Update on COVID-19 Edition #152, which stated during this recent 28-day period, 56% (131 of 234) of countries and territories reported at least one case.
As of July 20, 2023, the WHO reported that while five WHO regions confirmed decreases in COVID-19 cases and deaths, the Western Pacific Region has reported a decline in cases but an increase in fatalities.
At the country level, the highest numbers of new 28-day cases were reported from the Republic of Korea (372 557 new cases; -22%), Australia (62 748 new cases; -59%), Brazil (56 744 new cases; -50%), New Zealand (38 949 new cases; +12%), and Singapore (28 333 new cases; -59%).
From a prevention perspective, about 12 COVID-19 vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapies are in use globally.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the World Health Organization, and the Robert Koch Institute today announced a Health Security Partnership focused on strengthening disease surveillance and epidemic intelligence in Africa.
Substantial progress has been made in disease surveillance across Africa over the past decade, but it is worth noting that it experiences more outbreaks and other health emergencies than others, many of which are preventable or controllable with proven public health interventions, wrote the Africa CDC on July 18, 2023.
“Our collective ability to prevent, prepare for, and respond to healthy security emergencies remains critical to keeping our communities safe,” said Sara Hersey, Director of Collaborative Intelligence at the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, in a press release.
“Through this partnership, WHO remains dedicated to working with Member States to systematically strengthen our capabilities and collaboration across stakeholders, sectors, and borders for more effective and collaborative disease surveillance in Africa.”
Pfizer Inc. today announced data from a Phase 2 clinical study investigating its hexavalent capsular polysaccharide (CPS) conjugate Group B Streptococcus (GBS) vaccine candidate, GBS6.
This vaccine candidate is being developed for maternal administration to protect infants against invasive GBS disease.
In stage two of the three-part study, GBS6 generated robust maternal antibody responses against the six GBS CPS serotypes included in the vaccine, and these antibodies were efficiently transferred to infants at ratios of ~0.4-1.3 depending on the GBS6 group.
Based on a parallel natural history study conducted in South Africa, the Phase 2 study immunogenicity data suggest that GBS6 may offer meaningful protection against invasive GBS disease in newborns and young infants.
The results were published in an Original Article in The New England Journal of Medicine on July 20, 2023, and will inform a planned Phase 3 clinical development program.
“Group B Streptococcus can cause potentially devastating diseases in infants, including sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis. Annually, there are nearly 400,000 cases of infant disease and approximately 138,000 stillbirths and infant deaths worldwide due to GBS,” said Annaliesa Anderson, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer, in a press release on July 19, 2023.
“Building on decades of expertise and knowledge in vaccines, we are committed to helping protect newborns and young infants through maternal immunization.”
The U.S. CDC says bacteria called group B Streptococcus cause GBS disease.
GBS bacteria commonly live in people’s gastrointestinal and genital tracts. The genital tract is the part of the body involved in reproduction and includes the vagina in women.
Sometimes the bacteria invade the body and cause certain infections, which are known as GBS disease.
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DHSHS) today announced that no-cost health clinics will be available for residents of South Texas next week.
Operation Border Health Preparedness (OBHP) will operate in the Rio Grand Valley from July 24-28, 2023.
OBHP services will include immunizations for children and adults, medical exams, student sports physicals, health and diabetes screenings, dental and vision exams, and prescription glasses from a mobile lab.
In 2022, OBHP provided 30,031 health services to about 6,400 patients.
“Operation Border Health Preparedness allows DSHS and its partners to develop and refine their emergency response actions while also providing no-cost healthcare options for many South Texas residents who may face challenges receiving health care,” said DSHS Commissioner Jennifer Shuford, MD, MPH, in a media statement on July 20, 2023.
“For some (Texas) residents, this may be their only time to visit with a doctor this year.”
Services vary by location, so the public can visit dshs.texas.gov/obhp2023 or call 2-1-1 to confirm which services are offered at a specific Texas location.
