Travel Vaccine Breaking News

The Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) laboratory has confirmed mosquito samples that have tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV).

As of June 27, 2023, the mosquito samples were collected from the 75019 zip code in Coppell, 75146 in Lancaster, and 75159 in Seagoville, TX.

Unfortunately, there are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat WNV in people.

“It’s important to prevent mosquito bites that can cause West Nile Virus infection. As people are getting outside more, remember the four Ds: DEET, Dress, Drain, and Dusk to Dawn”, commented Dr. Philip Huang, Director of DCHHS, in a press release.

In response to these detections, weather permitting, DCHHS has scheduled ground spraying.

Spraying will not be conducted in wind speeds over ten mph or inclement weather.

Click on the link to view a map of the spraying areas as of June 30, 2023: http://www.dallas.leateamapps.com/PublicMap/.

Dallas area residents should remain inside during the time sprayers are in the area.

furthermore, WNV is a major health risk in Europe.

As of June 30, 2023, European Union, European Economic Area, and EU-neighbouring countries have confirmed 1,340 locally acquired human cases of West Nile virus, including 104 related deaths, in 2022.

According to the U.S. CDC, WNV is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States. 

It is most commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. Cases of WNV occur during mosquito season, which starts in the summer and continues through fall.

Fortunately, most people infected with WNV do not feel sick. About 1 in 5 infected people develop a fever and other symptoms.

About 1 out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness.

In severe cases, patients often need to be hospitalized to receive supportive treatment, such as intravenous fluids, pain medication, and nursing care, says the CDC.

Vaxxinity, Inc. recently announced positive results from Part B of its Phase 1 clinical trial of UB-312, an investigational vaccine for Parkinson's disease (PD).

On June 22, 2023, the Company confirmed in a press release that UB-312 was well-tolerated and induced anti-alpha-synuclein (aSyn) antibody responses in participants with early PD, meeting the trial's primary objectives.

UB-312 is an investigational synthetic peptide vaccine targeting toxic aggregated aSyn forms to address PD and other synucleinopathies. Alpha-synuclein plays a central role in synaptic functions and regulation of neurotransmitter release.

The accumulation and aggregation of misfolded aSyn in the brain are key factors in PD's development and progression.

"This positive Phase 1 results demonstrate several important features necessary for an immunotherapy against Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies to be successful and represent a further proof-of-principle for Vaxxinity's platform in chronic disease," said Mei Mei Hu, CEO of Vaxxinity.

"UB-312 was observed to safely break immune tolerance, inducing antibodies against toxic aggregated forms of alpha-synuclein."

"Importantly, these antibodies crossed the blood-brain barrier, and the data also suggest potential target engagement in the periphery, where pathological alpha-synuclein is known to be concentrated."

"Together, these results support the further development of UB-312 in a Phase 2 clinical trial."

"We continue to view UB-312 as a promising candidate for the prevention or disease modification of Parkinson's disease globally."

This announcement is important since PD affects approximately one million people in the U.S. and more than 10 million worldwide.

The U.S. NIH says PD is a chronic brain and progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects predominately dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra area of the brain. 

Additionally, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is funding a 2-year collaborative project between Vaxxinity, the Mayo Clinic, and the University of Texas Houston. This work evaluates the potential of protein misfolding cyclic amplification to assess target engagement and will also aim to characterize the anti-aSyn antibodies produced after UB-312 administration.

As the new flu season approaches this fall, influenza viruses from last season continue negatively impacting people.

On June 30, 2023, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report confirmed respiratory illness, often called influenza-like illness, severely impacts people.

According to National Center for Health Statistics Mortality Surveillance data on June 29, 2023, 6.2% of the deaths during week #25 were due to pneumonia, influenza, and/or COVID-19 (PIC).

Among the 1,342 PIC deaths reported for this week, 240 had COVID-19 listed as an underlying or contributing cause of death on the death certificate, and eight listed as influenza.

The majority of deaths were related to pneumonia.

Furthermore, one additional influenza-associated pediatric death occurring during the 2022-2023 season was reported to CDC during week 25.

Throughout the 2022-2023 flu season, the total number of pediatric deaths totaled 160.

In the 2019-2020 flu season, 199 children died from influenza infections.

With the new flu season starting soon, the CDC recently announced good news regarding vaccines.

The U.S. CDC adopted the 2023-2024 recommendations on annual influenza vaccination for everyone six months and older on June 27, 2023.

Additionally, flu vaccinations in July and August are not recommended for most people, but there are several considerations for specific groups.

The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) reconfirmed on June 27, 2023, it is investigating a recent increase in mpox cases among Chicago residents. 

Between June 4 and June 22, 2023, there were six additional mpox cases reported.

The CDPH's dashboard indicates over the past three months, there have been 46 mpox cases and three related hospitalizations. And Chicago did not disclose the number of vaccine-breakthrough cases reported.

From a prevention perspective, 146 people were vaccinated in Chicago last week with the JYNNEOS® (MVA-BN) vaccine.

Since May 2022, 49,351 doses have been administered. 

Chicagions with mpox questions can contact the HIV/STI Resource Hub at 844-482-4040  or the CDPH Call Center at 312-746-4835.

Throughout Illinois, including CDPH's data, 1,488 mpox cases have been reported during the global outbreak.

As of June 28, 2023, the U.S. CDC reported 30,531 mpox cases and 43 related fatalities since May 2022.

While Bavarian Nordic's vaccine has been the primary mpox vaccine offered in the U.S., a Cincinnati-based firm Blue Water Biotech, Inc., announced on June 28, 2023, preliminary preclinical data supporting the use of its norovirus shell and protrusion virus-like particle platform to develop a novel mpox vaccine candidate.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) today announced the current C.D.C. Director adopted the 2023-2024 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP) recommendations on annual influenza (flu) vaccination for everyone six months and older in the U.S.

As of June 29, 2023, there are minor changes to the ACIP's flu shot recommendations, including, but not limited to, an acknowledgment of the updated flu vaccine composition for the 2023-2024 flu season.

And a change in the recommendations for vaccination of people with egg allergies.

Flu vaccination has many benefits. It has been shown to reduce the risk of getting sick with the flu and also to reduce the risk of more serious flu outcomes that can result in hospitalization or even death, says the CDC.

Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H.'s adoption of the ACIP recommendations makes them official C.D.C. policy. Providers should begin vaccinating patients according to C.D.C.'s recommended timing, which has not changed for the 2023-2023 influenza season in the U.S.

The C.D.C. says September and October are the best times for most people to get vaccinated.

Furthermore, flu vaccination in July and August is not recommended for most people, but there are several considerations for specific groups.

While influenza viruses are detected year-round, the exact timing and duration of flu seasons vary by country, says the World Health Organization (WHO). What happens in the Southern Hemisphere does not necessarily predict what will happen in the Northern Hemisphere, which includes the U.S.

The WHO recently published Influenza Update N° 448, which confirmed influenza detections remained low globally. Still, in the southern hemisphere, some countries reported variable changes in influenza detections in recent weeks, while detections in others seemed to have peaked as of June 26, 2023.

Additionally, Precision Vaccinations published an updated list of influenza vaccines and candidates conducting clinical trials.

The MedAfrica Times recently reported that the Republic of Brazil donated 80 thousand vaccines against HPV and yellow fever to Cabo Verde.

The Cape Verdean Ministry of Health announced on June 27, 2023, 50 thousand doses of HPV and 30 thousand doses of yellow fever arrived in Praia.

"The yellow fever vaccine is used to prevent yellow fever, a disease caused by an arbovirus. It is recommended for prevention in endemic areas or for travelers", said this article.

The U.S. CDC recently wrote that no (health) notices are currently in effect for Cape Verde.

However, the CDC suggests prospective visitors to Cape Verde speak with a healthcare provider regarding travel vaccinations, such as yellow fever and medicines.

Located 900 miles south of the Canary Islands and 350 miles from the African mainland, Cape Verde's nine inhabited islands offer vacationers many relaxing options.

Cabo Verde has witnessed significant economic progress since 1990, driven in large part by the rapid development of tourism (25% of GDP).

And remember to pack essential health supplies in case of travel delays, says the CDC.

While most of the media attention has been focused on the state of Florida's recent malaria outbreak (4) on its west coast, another mosquito-transmitted disease continues its multi-year impact on Florida's southeastern coast.

As of June 24, 2023, Florida Weekly Arbovirus Report revealed another 18 travel-associated dengue cases had been confirmed.

This data increased Florida's dengue outbreak to 100 cases in 2023, led by Miami-Dade (64) and Broward (8) countries.

These dengue-infected travelers primarily originated in Brazil and Cuba.

Furthermore, 2 cases of locally acquired dengue have been reported this year.

In 2022, 903 travel-associated and 68 locally-acquired dengue cases were reported in Florida.

To notify residents and visitors, the Florida Department of Health issued a statewide mosquito-borne illness advisory on June 26, 2023.

Furthermore, Florida continues to conduct statewide surveillance for mosquito-borne illnesses, including West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, and chikungunya. 

The Department confirmed aerial and ground mosquito spraying continues in these areas to mitigate the risk of further virus transmission.

There are approved vaccines for both dengue and malaria, but access is limited in the U.S. 

As of June 28, 2023, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor the U.K. Foreign Office have issued travel advice when visiting Florida.