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The Government of Canada today confirmed its' main priority continues to be protecting the health and safety of Canadians. Throughout the recent pandemic, decisive actions taken empowered Canada to scale up domestic biomanufacturing capacity, which had been in decline for over 40 years.
On March 14, 2023, Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Sport, highlighted in a press release an investment of $2 million to create the Canadian Hub for Health Intelligence & Innovation in Infectious Diseases (HI3).
This support is part of a $10 million investment announced on March 2, 2023, for creating five research hubs as part of Stage 1 of the integrated Canada Biomedical Research Fund and Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund competition.
The University of Toronto (UofT) leads the Canadian Hub for Health Intelligence & Innovation in Infectious Diseases.
The HI3 hub is led by co-directors Jen Gommerman and Scott Gray-Owen, professors of immunology and molecular genetics, respectively, in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at U of T.
It will focus on advancing the concept of "personalized and precise medicine" to influence the development of vaccines, therapeutics, and other public health interventions.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) presented some good news last week regarding influenza vaccines. The FDA confirmed this season's influenza vaccination provided substantial protection against inpatient, emergency department, and outpatient illnesses among all ages.
On March 7, 2023, Lisa Grohskopf, MD, MPH, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), presented to the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee updated vaccine effectiveness (VE) information through January 2023.
Dr. Grohskopf's presentation highlighted influenza vaccination significantly reduced disease by the following:
- 39% (95%CI: 31, 45) against adult hospitalizations,
- 44% (95%CI: 41, 47) against adult ED or UC visits, and
- VE was observed across age groups and immunocompromised.
Furthermore, this flu season's estimates are higher than VE estimates against hospitalization (25%) and ED or UC visits (25%) from the 2021–22 season.
As of March 15, 2023, the CDC says various flu shots remain available at most clinics and pharmacies in the U.S., and late-season vaccinations are advised for certain at-risk people.
Over 173 million influenza vaccines have already been distributed this flu season.
A recent Lancet Lancet Infectious Diseases analysis concluded that a single dose of Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA-BN, Jynneos®) vaccine was very protective against mpox.
Published on March 13, 2023, Dimie Ogoina, with Niger Delta University and colleagues, wrote the 78% vaccine effectiveness reported suggests that a single dose of Jynneos is considered protective against symptomatic mpox only after 13 days post-vaccination.
Furthermore, this analysis and other studies suggest that using a single dose of Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos as pre-exposure prophylaxis is preferable to post-exposure prophylaxis to guarantee protection against symptomatic mpox.
And because people living with HIV have been shown to have a higher risk of breakthrough COVID-19 infections post-vaccination, identifying four of eight breakthrough mpox infections among people living with HIV is noteworthy.
However, the Jynneos vaccine has previously been shown to be immunogenic among adults with a history of AIDS.
Since there are no approved HIV vaccines, co-administration data is unavailable.
Additional Mpox outbreak news is posted at MpoxToday.
Communities in India have voiced strong interest in accessing HIV self-testing, says the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO today announced it recommends HIV self-testing (HIVST) as an important approach to address gaps in HIV diagnoses, including among key populations in India.
HIVST can also generate demand for prevention services and facilitate pre-exposure prophylaxis delivery.
The first of the United Nations’ 95-95-95 targets to end the HIV epidemic is for 95% of people living with HIV to know their HIV status by 2025. HIV testing is therefore essential to achieving “the first 95”.
A report launched in New Delhi in 2022 showed HIVST is acceptable to key populations and their partners in India.
In the U.S., clinicians are recommended to screen for HIV infection in all pregnant women, including those who present in labor or at delivery and whose HIV status is unknown.
And screening is endorsed for certain adolescents and adults who are at increased risk of HIV infection.
Globally, 98 countries now have policies supportive of HIVST, and 52 are routinely implemented, yet many countries have not yet introduced HIVST as a routine approach.
Until HIV-preventive vaccine candidates are approved, HIVST is a key component to reducing infections.
Eisai Co., Ltd. today announced that the U.S. Veterans' Health Administration (VHA) is providing coverage of LEQEMBI™ to veterans living with early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD).
As of March 13, 2023, VHA healthcare professionals meeting the criteria set forth by the VHA can prescribe LEQEMBI to veterans who fit the VHA's standards and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) current label.
The FDA-approved LEQEMBI under the accelerated approval pathway in January 2023, and was launched in the U.S. on January 18, 2023.
LEQEMBI is a humanized immunoglobulin gamma 1 monoclonal antibody directed against aggregated soluble (protofibrils*) and insoluble forms of amyloid beta (Aβ),
Treatment with LEQEMBI should only be initiated in patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia stage of disease and confirmed presence of Aβ pathology, the population in which treatment was initiated in clinical trials.
After the first infusion, 38% of LEQEMBI-treated patients had transiently decreased lymphocyte counts to <0.9 x109/L compared to 2% on placebo, and 22% of LEQEMBI-treated patients had transiently increased neutrophil counts to >7.9 x109/L compared to 1% on placebo.
Furthermore, there are no safety or effectiveness data on initiating treatment at earlier or later stages of the disease than were studied.
Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial.
LEQEMBI is not a vaccine but is therapeutically administered via infusion.
In the event of an infusion-related reaction, the infusion rate may be reduced, or the infusion may be discontinued, and appropriate therapy initiated as clinically indicated. Prophylactic treatment with antihistamines, acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or corticosteroids prior to future infusions may be considered.
The FDA has not approved an Alzheimer's disease vaccine as of March 2023.
Parents living in St. Thomas, Elgin, and Oxford counties in Ottawa were recently advised to be alert to respiratory symptoms, which are particularly dangerous in young children.
Symptoms of the vaccine-preventable disease pertussis start with a runny nose or nasal congestion, sneezing, mild cough, and mild fever.
Southwestern Public Health, which is located between Detroit and Toronto, announced on March 8, 2023, parents and guardians should keep themselves and their children up to date with the pertussis vaccine after a recent dramatic rise in cases in the region.
"Our region has seen 82 confirmed cases of pertussis between January 2022 and February 28, 2023. This represents about 40% of the provincial total from that time period."
"Combine this with the number of children who are unvaccinated or under-vaccinated, and I am concerned in particular for the youngest members of our community," says Dr. Ninh Tran, Medical Officer of Health for Southwestern Public Health, in a related press release.
Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a vaccine-preventable disease.
This vaccine is routinely administered to children along with protection from polio, tetanus, and diphtheria (DTaP).
In the U.S., DTaP vaccines such as Boostrix are offered at clinics and pharmacies.
Pertussis is very contagious and spreads via droplets from the noses and mouths of those who are infected.
The cough, which can last anywhere from 2 – 8 weeks, gets progressively worse and may lead to vomiting or trouble breathing and coughing up mucous. It can often be recognized by the loud "whooping" sound that occurs when the child is inhaling after a coughing spell.
Untreated pertussis in infants can lead to hospitalization, brain damage, and death.
Furthermore, new research indicates an expecting mother can take action to protect her future child.
According to an Original Investigation published by JAMA Pediatrics in February 2023, maternal Tdap vaccination reduces pertussis burden in infants (2 months).
"I have two asks of our local parents."
"The first is that you make yourself familiar with the symptoms of pertussis and seek medical care if your child has these symptoms."
"It can be treated with antibiotics, and after five days on the treatment, the person can no longer spread the disease to others."
"Second, please contact your family health care provider or Southwestern Public Health to get your child's routine vaccinations up to date."
"The vaccine is free, and we have openings in our clinics throughout the month of March," adds Tran.
Ottawa residents requiring a public health vaccination clinic appointment can book online at www.swpublichealth.ca/booking.
The U.K. National History Museum recently reported sea lions in Peru are among the latest victims of a version of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) known as bird flu.
The HAPI virus has killed about 3,500 South American sea lions in Peru as of March 9, 2023.
The Peruvian government has reported that since November 2022, around 3% of the country's sea lions have died due to HPAI infections.
Peru, like many South American countries, believes HAPI was brought south by pelicans before jumping into the marine mammals.
In the Northern Hemisphere, Canada and the United States have reported multiple mammalian fatalities related to bird flu infections.
The United States Department of Agriculture and the World Animal Health Information System reported during March 2023, over 131 HAPI H5N1 detections of wild striped skunks, black bears, raccoons, and red foxes.
- The California Department of Fish and Wildlife received confirmation on February 15, 2023, that an adult bobcat died from the Eurasian strain of HPAI H5N1.
- The Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed on February 9, 2023, several cases of HPAI in free-ranging wildlife (black bear, skunk, mountain lion).
- The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks confirmed on January 17, 2023, three juvenile grizzly bears tested positive for HAPI.
While there are no vaccines that protect birds or mammals from H5N1 infections, there are bird flu vaccines for humans.
In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration authorized CSL Seqirus' Audenz™ vaccine on January 31, 2020, and RAPIVAB® in 2022.
And the U.S. government has financially supported the development of newer bird flu vaccines for people.
Furthermore, the government reminds everyone that annual flu shots are effective against certain types of influenza, but they are not effective against bord flu viruses.
