Travel Vaccine Breaking News

The journal Vaccine recently published a manuscript entitled "Thermostable bivalent filovirus vaccine protects against severe and lethal Sudan ebolavirus and marburgvirus infection."

This publication describes the preclinical efficacy of a novel, single-vial, bivalent thermostabilized vaccine providing 100% protection in the most rigorous non-human primate challenge models against Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV) and Marburg marburgvirus (MARV) infections.

Recent outbreaks have occurred in Africa, with increased frequency in 2023.

There are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics for either SUDV or MARV infections.

However, vaccines are available for Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) infections in 2024, but they provide no protection against SUDV or MARV infection.

"Filoviruses such as EBOV, SUDV, and MARV are some of the most lethal viruses known, and they are endemic in areas of the world where the power supply and distribution network can be uncertain, says the World Health Organization.

A thermostabilized vaccine in a single vial format would significantly enhance any public health response to a new outbreak, at its source," stated Axel Lehrer, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, in a press release.

"Our work to date has demonstrated the feasibility of rapid and efficient manufacturing, as well as the ability to thermostabilize multiple antigens that can then be stored for extended times at temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit."

"The use of a bivalent vaccine has the potential to both prevent future infections with these pathogens and potentially mitigate future outbreak events, potentially using an accelerated dosing regimen."

The thermostabilized filovirus vaccine program continues to advance with the support of a National Institute of Health grant and a Small Business Innovation Research grant awarded to Soligenix, Inc.

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation recently reported a polar bear was found dead after being infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HAPI).

The polar bear was found on October 1, 2023, near Utqiagvik, a North Slope community in the United States. Following HAPI sample testing, the bear's death was confirmed on December 6, 2023.

This was also the first Endangered Species Act-listed animal in Alaska known to fall victim to HAPI.

There has been a global increase in HPAI outbreaks due to the genetic diversity of circulating virus strains, which rapidly spread in birds.

This World Organisation for Animal Health report issued in October 2023 provides an update on the HPAI situation.

Since people can become infected by the HAPI virus, the U.S. government has been preparing vaccines for an outbreak. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 20 million H5N1 and 12 million H7N9 vaccines were available in the U.S. National Strategic Stockpile in 2023.

Novotech recently released the latest global clinical trial landscape report on HIV, a condition now affecting more than 39 million people.

According to the HIV Global Clinical Trial Landscape report published on December 18, 2023, the biopharma industry has initiated over 1,000 HIV clinical trials worldwide since 2018.

The distribution of the trials is as follows: Asia-Pacific accounts for 29% of trials, Europe at 28%, and North America at 26%, while the Rest of the World contributes a moderate share of 17%.

The report delves into the multifaceted landscape of HIV, focusing on its impact, treatment, and global initiatives.

It begins by elucidating HIV's progression, from its attack on the immune system to the potential development of AIDS. In the United States, there were 1.2 million HIV cases, leading to 19,986 deaths in 2022.

At the report's core lies the worldwide strategy articulated by organizations such as WHO, the Global Fund, and UNAIDS to eradicate the HIV epidemic by 2030.

Moreover, the report explores cutting-edge research, including long-acting injectables, HIV vaccines, and gene editing, underscoring the potential to find an HIV cure.

As of December 31, 2023, there are no approved HIV vaccines available, but several vaccine candidates are conducting studies.

Novotech's research analyst team provides these expert reports every month, free of charge.

Thailand is a geographically diverse country, a little smaller than Texas, and a trendy destination for millions of tourists.

As New Year's Eve 2023 approaches, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently stated transmission of the Zika virus is a health risk in Thailand.

And the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health confirmed it is aware of the recent Zika outbreaks in Thailand.

According to Thailand's Bureau of Epidemiology, 742 Zika cases have been recorded in 2023, which is much higher than in the past three years.

Among the recent Zika cases, 160 were recorded in Bangkok, which has about 11 million residents.

Given the Zika cases in Thailand this year, the CHP specifically reminded members of the public, especially pregnant women and women preparing for pregnancy, that they must adopt necessary precautions against mosquito-borne diseases.

Furthermore, the U.S. Embassy in Thailand recently informed U.S. citizens that the CDC says that if you decide to travel, prevent mosquito bites and sexual exposure to Zika during and after travel, and wait two months after returning before becoming pregnant.

From a prevention perspective, there are no approved Zika vaccines as of December 30, 2023. However, several vaccine candidates are conducting clinical research.

Jiangsu Recbio Technology Co., Ltd. today announced that the novel adjuvanted recombinant shingles vaccine candidate REC610 recently achieved positive results in the interim analysis of the first-in-human clinical trial in the Philippines.

Published on December 29, 2023, the Interim Analysis results showed that REC610 demonstrated an overall favorable safety and tolerability profile in healthy participants aged 40 and above after two vaccination doses.

REC610 induced strong gE-specific humoral and cellular immune responses, which were evident after the first vaccination and peaked 30 days after the second vaccination.

The humoral and cellular immune responses were comparable between REC610 and the Shingrix® vaccine comparison group, and the immune response level in the REC610 group was numerically higher than that in the Shingrix group.

REC610 is intended to prevent shingles in adults aged 40 and above. It is equipped with a novel adjuvant BFA01 independently developed by the Company, which can promote the production of high levels of VZV glycoprotein E (gE)-specific CD4+ T cells and antibodies.

REC610 received a drug clinical trial approval notice issued by the National Medical Products Administration in October 2023. It is approved as a preventive 3.3 biological product in its Phase I and III clinical trials in China.

The Company will soon adopt a randomized, double-blind, parallel controlled phase I clinical trial in 180 healthy adult subjects aged 40 and above in Mainland China to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of REC610.

According to statistics, China's population aged 40 and above is approximately 700 million, and about 6 million new shingles cases occur each year in China.

Furthermore, the incidence of shingles has gradually become younger in recent years. 

Only Shingrix is on the market in China, and there is a strong demand for import substitution, according to Jiangsu Recbio Technology's press release.

Beginning in January 2024, Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products will have exclusive rights to import and distribute Shingrix in China.

Despite a global reduction in Zika cases since a peak in 2017, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recently confirmed the circulation of this mosquito-borne virus in 89 countries worldwide.

However, Zika outbreaks escalated in certain countries in the Region of the Americas in 2023.

The PAHO's data dashboard indicates there have been 35,538 confirmed Zika cases this year.

Ten countries, led by Brazil, have accounted for about 89% of Zika cases recorded over the past decade.

This year, Brazil has reported over 33,000 Zika cases.

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says mosquitoes continue to spread Zika throughout Puerto Rico.

About 25% of infected people develop Zika symptoms, and the illness is usually mild, lasting between two and seven days. 

Moreover, Congenital Zika-associated syndrome is a set of anomalies, such as microcephaly, seen in infants born to mothers with a history of gestational Zika fever, says the CDC.

The PAHO and other health agencies have stated that vaccination is the best option to prevent further infections.

But, as 2024 approaches, no Zika vaccine has been approved by any health authority.

Clinical trials involving DNA, modified vaccinia Ankara vector platform, and purified inactivated virus vaccine candidates have shown they can induce neutralizing antibodies.

Since 2016, about $350 million of funding has been allocated for Zika vaccine candidates.

Based on last week's airport screening activity, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is expecting a busy end-of-year holiday season.

As of December 25, 2023, the number of air travelers screened exceeded the volume last seen in 20219.

And to keep the wait times down, about 99% of TSA PreCheck® passengers waited less than 10 minutes passing through security lines in early December 2023.

Travelers can also help keep screening wait times down by remembering to bring an acceptable ID, including a digital wallet.

In collaboration with the State of Arizona and Samsung, the TSA is now accepting, for limited testing and evaluation purposes, Arizona-issued mobile driver's licenses and identification cards in Samsung Wallet on Samsung mobile devices at select TSA airport security checkpoints.

Passengers can use this new feature at checkpoints for identity verification at 27 participating airports.

TSA introduced the concept of the mobile driver's license in April 2021. Since then, Google and Apple digital wallets have also been accepted at various airports in the U.S.

This is one of TSA's many steps to transform airport security experiences.

From a health perspective, the U.S. CDC recently issued Travel Health Notices regarding dengue virus outbreaks in numberious countries.

The CDC says that getting vaccinated against infectious diseases is one of the most effective ways to protect your health while traveling abroad.

Travel vaccines can prevent dengue and other infectious diseases and are generally available at travel clinics and pharmacies in the U.S.