Vaccine News

Vaccine news brought to you by Precision Vaccinations.

Mar 21, 2025 • 10:50 am CDT
from Pixabay 2025

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today filed a [Docket No. CDC-2025-0017] notice regarding a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the vaccine advisory committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The ACIP advises the Director of the CDC on the use of immunizing agents.

As of March 21, 2025, this newly scheduled ACIP meeting will be held on April 15 and April 16, 2025, and will be digitally open to the public.

The agenda will include discussions on chikungunya, COVID-19, cytomegalovirus, Human papillomavirus, influenza, Lyme disease, meningococcal, mpox, pneumococcal, Respiratory Syncytial Virus vaccines for adults, and maternal and pediatric populations.

An update on the current measles outbreak in the U.S. will also be provided.

ACIP recommendation votes are scheduled for meningococcal, chikungunya, and RSV vaccines for adults.

Of note, VIMKUNYA® became the first chikungunya vaccine approved in the U.S. for people aged 12 and older as of March 18, 2025, without an ACIP recommendation. 

A Vaccines for Children vote is also scheduled for meningococcal vaccines.

The agenda for this ACIP meeting is similar to the rescheduled February 2025 session.

To increase trust in the vaccine authorization process, the CDC launched a website in early March 2025 identifying ACIP member conflicts of interest, if any. Revealed on March 7, 2025, people can use this free CDC digital tool to quickly find previous conflicts of interest by ACIP members from 2000 to 2024.

Mar 20, 2025 • 2:01 pm CDT
Google Maps March 2025

The Philippines Department of Health has reported acute watery diarrhea cases in various provinces in 2025, where typhoid fever has become endemic.

As of March 19, 2025, local media reported that the Province of Negros Occidental, located in the Negros Island Region, 344 typhoid fever cases and three related deaths have been confirmed this year.

An estimated 11–21 million cases of typhoid fever occur worldwide each year.

To alert international travelers visiting the Philippines, the U.S. CDC recommends typhoid vaccination for most people, especially those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas.

About 5.5 million people visited the Philippines last year.

In the United States, travel clinics and pharmacies offer typhoid vaccines in 2025. The CDC says that typhoid vaccines protect 50%–80% of recipients and reinforce safe food and water precautions.

Furthermore, the CDC has included the Philippines in recent Dengue and Measles Travel Health Advisories.

Mar 20, 2025 • 9:07 am CDT
GAVI

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the seven cholera epidemic is considered to have started in 1961 and continues in March 2025.

So far, in 2025, a cumulative total of 70,488 cholera cases and 808 deaths were reported from 23 countries across three WHO regions.

In February 2025 alone, 459 cholera-related fatalities were confirmed, representing a 32% increase in January.

To help reduce cholera outbreaks, Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) production has remained high, reflecting significant efforts by the supplier and partners. The average OCV stockpile has recently stabilized at 5.5 million doses in February.

However, the WHO's external situation report #24 stated on March 20, 205, that the growing global demand continues to exceed supply, hindering efforts to control cholera outbreaks, respond rapidly to the disease’s spread, and implement preventative campaigns.

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through food and water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, often from feces.

While cholera vaccination is not generally recommended for all international travelers, it is what the U.S. CDC suggested when visiting cholera outbreak zones.

In the United States, travel clinics and pharmacies currently have an ample supply of OCVs.

Mar 20, 2025 • 4:03 am CDT
by Mircea Iancu 2025

Since the Mpox virus swept around the world in May 2022, Germany's Standing Commission on Vaccination has recommended that people at an elevated risk of infection receive a preventive vaccination.

After millions of JYNNEOS® (MVA-BN®, IMVAMUNE®) doses were administered, an observational study published positive effectiveness data today.

The Lancet Infectious Diseases published results from a study conducted at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin on March 18, 2025, that found one dose of the JYNNEOS was 84% in people without HIV and 58% effective against mpox infection overall.

However, due to the significant drop in Mpox infections in the second half of 2022, the study could not determine the additional effect of a second vaccine dose.

Furthermore, Breakthrough infections were associated with reduced symptoms, compared with infections in unvaccinated individuals. 

In a related press release, Prof. Leif Erik Sander, Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Critical Care Medicine at Charité and a research group leader at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité, stated, "Our results confirm that a single dose of the vaccine provides good protection against Mpox, at least for a short time."

"That is a very good figure, which is likely increased further by the second vaccine dose."

"The reason is that developing immune protection after vaccination presumably requires specific immune cells called T cells. These T cells often appear at lower levels in people with HIV and are not fully functional, which translates to a weaker immune response. This also corresponds to our observation that these participants experienced fewer local and systemic side effects after receiving the vaccine."

"We assume that people living with HIV develop protection against Mpox after the second vaccine dose, and urgently advise these people to receive the two vaccine doses." 

"The immune system typically develops longer-lasting immune protection when exposed to the vaccine on more than one occasion."

Further studies will be required to determine the precise extent of the protective effect in different groups following two vaccine doses.

As of March 29, 2025, the JYNNEOS vaccine is commercially available at many clinics and pharmacies in the United States.

Mar 19, 2025 • 11:27 am CDT
Google Maps March 19, 2025

Since Queensland recorded a locally acquired human case of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in January 2025, residents have been urged to avoid being bitten by infected mosquitoes, which are being found along Australia's east coast.

This JE case, the first since 2022, may have infected the Darling Downs region, near Goondiwindi and Wide Bay regions, and animal populations in other jurisdictions.

On March 15, 2025, local health authorities confirmed the first Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) detection in Hemmant, an eastern riverside suburb of Brisbane.

Brisbane is the capital and largest city of the state of Queensland, with a population of over 2.7 million.

According to a press release, Chief Health Officer Dr. Heidi Carroll said this latest detection meant JEV posed an increased risk of infection in humans across several regions in Queensland."

"This latest detection is the first for Brisbane and tells us that more mosquito populations are likely carrying the virus."

"While most people infected with JEV experience only mild or no symptoms, those who develop more serious symptoms may experience fever, headache, abdominal pain, or vomiting, typically within five to 15 days of being bitten."

"Tragically, in some cases, it can cause severe neurological illness and even death."

Furthermore, this year, JEV detections have been confirmed in New South Wales (NSW).

On March 14, 2025, the fourth JE-related fatality was reported since the virus was first detected in NSW in 2022.

In 2022, the U.S. CDC updated a Level 2 Practice Enhanced Precautions Advisory regarding the JE outbreak in eastern and southeastern Australia to alert international visitors to this health risk.

The CDC recommends JE vaccination for at-risk travelers before visiting outbreak areas.

The JEV vaccine is available at over 100 vaccination providers across Queensland. It is free for eligible Queenslanders. Since 2022, more than 18,000 Queenslanders have been vaccinated against JEV. 

Mar 19, 2025 • 5:14 am CDT
Maps March 2025

While the Federative Republic of Brazil continues to lead the Americas during the Chikungunya outbreak in 2025, with over 53,000 cases and 27 related fatalities, a small city recently confirmed an unusually high case fatality rate.

According to local media reporting on March 18, 2025, the city of Xanxerê registered its second Chikungunya-related fatality of 2025.

According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Chikungunya infections are seldom fatal. Estimates vary throughout the Americas, with case-fatality rates ranging between 0.5 and 1.3 deaths per 1000.

Located in Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, this city of just over 50 thousand inhabitants has recorded about 107 Chikungunya cases this year, indicating a very high fatality rate. This news article did not explain this data.

The PAHO says in Brazil, the mosquito that transmits Chikungunya to people is the same vector that transmits dengue fever and Zika virus, making Chikungunya easy to misdiagnose and appropriately treat.

From a disease prevention perspective, people have two options in March 2025.

The PAHO suggests avoiding being bitten by infected mosquitos.

And/or if you are departing abroad from the United States, the government suggests speaking with a travel vaccine expert about Chikungunya vaccination options before visiting an outbreak area.

The U.S. FDA has approved innovative Chikungunya vaccines for about two years. In 2025, they will be generally available at travel clinics and pharmacies.

Mar 18, 2025 • 4:35 am CDT
US CDC MMWR

After a measurable decline in malaria cases globally over the last two decades, case numbers have rebounded throughout Africa during the previous two years, highlighting the need for enhanced prevention and treatment options.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), despite the expenditure of $4 billion per year, malaria fatalities have not substantively been reduced during outbreaks.

While the WHO recommends two malaria vaccines (Mosquirix™ and R21 / Matrix-M™) to reduce mosquito-transmitted malaria outbreaks in Africa, a new study has identified a potential change in case management.

In The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Virak Eng and colleagues provide evidence of the benefit of high total-dose primaquine (7 mg/kg) compared with low total-dose primaquine (3·5 mg/kg) to prevent relapsing P vivax malaria in Cambodia.

These findings, published on March 17, 2025, and funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, provide strong evidence for the optimal primaquine dose for anti-relapse therapy and support the 2024 WHO malaria treatment guidelines update recommending high-dose primaquine in most endemic countries.

In the United States, most malaria cases are international travel-related, not locally transmitted.

Previously, the WHO estimated the annual global demand for malaria vaccines at 40–60 million doses by 2026. These vaccines are not commercially available in the U.S.

Mar 17, 2025 • 11:58 am CDT
from Pixabay 2025

While a U.S. FDA-approved shingles vaccine has been well received in the market and numerous studies indicate it's effective and safe, a non-mRNA adjuvanted subunit vaccine candidate has completed a significant series B financing.

Announced on March 17, 2025, Curevo Vaccine closed a $110 million Series B round to advance the development of Amezosvatein, its vaccine for shingles (varicella-zoster virus).

"This Series B round will fund the extension of our successful Phase 2 program into an additional 640 participants, including the key population of adults over age 70, to finalize dose selection ahead of the Phase 3 program," said Curevo's CEO, George Simeon, MBA/MPH, in a press release.

"Designed based upon feedback from regulators and other stakeholders, this short extension trial will begin mid-2025 and set the company for clinical, strategic, and regulatory success."

The Phase 2 study (NCT05304351) 's primary completion date is March 31, 2025.

Like Shingrix®, amezosvatein, the assigned non-proprietary name for CRV-101, uses a subunit protein antigen called glycoprotein 'E' (gE). Targeting the gE antigen is proven to elicit a long‑term, protective immune response to prevent shingles.

Amezosvatein's adjuvant contains an optimized version of the TLR4 agonist proven by Shingrix to be biologically active in shingles vaccination.

Amezosvatein was engineered to maintain exceptional efficacy and have a best‑in‑class tolerability profile.

The SLA-SE adjuvant formulation was developed at Seattle‑based Access to Advanced Health Institute and amezosvatein was licensed from the Mogam Institute for Biomedical Research, a research institute funded by South Korea's GC Biopharma.

Until a phase 3 study is completed and approved by the FDA, this shingles vaccine candidate will not become commercially available in the U.S. Currently, the U.S. CDC recommends two doses of the recombinant zoster vaccine to prevent shingles and related complications in most people. This vaccine is offered at most pharmacies.

The Shingles Vaccine industry is projected to reach about $7 billion by 2032. 

Mar 16, 2025 • 3:58 pm CDT
by Jeremy Snavely

While most of the local media attention has been focused on the measles outbreaks in west Texas, the city of Houston actually reported Texas's initial two measles cases in January 2025.

Since then, the Houston Health Department (HDD) reported a third measles case involving an unvaccinated infant on March 16, 2025. This child was exposed to measles during international travel and is recovering at home.

HDD stated that this new case is unrelated to the earlier measles cases reported in Houston.

Dr. David Persse, Chief Medical Officer for the City of Houston, commented, "The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from measles is through vaccination."

"Although measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, international travel continues to present a risk," added Dr. Persse.

Houston and Harris County, TX, are home to about 5 million people, with two international airports serving millions of travelers annually. For more information on measles and vaccination options in Houston, including Harris County, visit HoustonHealth.org.

"The recent measles case in Houston highlights the continued importance of vaccination in protecting individuals and communities," V. Yvette Cheeks MSN, RN, NPE-C information Vax-Before-Travel News.

"As global travel presents ongoing risks, the Houston Health Department urges residents to confirm their measles immunity. Vaccines remain the most effective tool in preventing the resurgence of this highly contagious disease," added Cheeks, the CEO of Houston-based The Immunization Clinic.

Globally, the U.S. CDC has issued Travel Health Advisories that continue to identify measles outbreaks in 57 countries, including Canada, England, and Romania. 

HDD and the CDC recommend that most people confirm their measles immunity before visiting outbreak areas like Texas or eastern New Mexico. The MMR vaccine is offered at travel clinics and pharmacies throughout the U.S.

Mar 15, 2025 • 5:51 am CDT
US CDC March 2025

In response to the ongoing Sudan Ebola virus outbreak in the Republic of Uganda, the U.S. government recently updated a Level 2 Travel Health Advisory for this rare and deadly disease.

On March 12, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed a Sudan virus disease (SVD) outbreak in the Kampala, Wakiso, Jinja, Mbale, Kyegegwa, Kabarole, and Ntoroko districts.

Since late January 2025, about 14 cases, including four related fatalities, have been reported.

The CDC says local health authorities in Uganda are working to identify infected people and transmission sources, conduct investigations, take action to prevent further transmission, and educate communities and the public about the risks and dangers of SVD.

If you travel to Uganda, the CDC published an extensive list of activities to avoid.

About 200,000 people visited Uganda in 2024. Traveler screening at Ugandan entry points remains active as of March 2025.

Unlike Zaire Ebola, which has approved vaccines and therapeutics, SVD vaccines and therapeutics remain under development as of mid-March 2025.

From a safety perspective, the U.S. Department of State recently updated its Level 3 Travel Advisory to reflect current information.

The State Department advises reconsidering travel to Uganda and exercising increased caution due to potential risks and the unpredictable nature of public demonstrations. The U.S. Embassy in Kampala is available to support U.S. citizens. 

Mar 14, 2025 • 10:29 am CDT
from Pixabay 2025

Most older adults and immunocompromised individuals are familiar with herpes zoster (HZ), which causes painful rashes upon activating the varicella-zoster virus (VZV).

Although the U.S. FDA has approved a vaccine (Shingrix®) for preventing shingles, its administration is commonly associated with high reactogenicity.

On March 14, 2025, results from a new study published by the journal Nature focused on ten different vaccine candidate designs using two different codon optimizations targeting the VZV glycoprotein E (gE).

For this evaluation, researchers developed several VZV modRNA vaccine candidates targeting the glycoprotein gE, one of the most abundant proteins on the surface of the virion.

A subset of mRNA constructs was formulated into lipid nanoparticles and assessed for their ability to induce specific cellular and humoral immune responses in mice following vaccination.

Notably, the selected mRNA vaccine candidates induced high antibody levels and robust CD4+ and CD8+ immune responses.

Moreover, this study showed that alternate lyophilized vaccines provide comparable immunogenicity to liquid frozen formulations and are stable under long-term storage conditions.

Some of these investigational VZV modRNA candidates, including a lyophilized presentation, are currently being tested in a Phase I/II clinical study sponsored by Pfizer Inc.

This study's primary completion estimate is in late 2025.

While somewhat similar, no herpes simplex virus (HSV) vaccines are approved for use in 2025. However, this is an HSV mRNA vaccine candidate conducting research as of March 2025.

Mar 14, 2025 • 8:53 am CDT
from Pixabay 2025

Each flu season, government agencies meet to review potential changes to influenza vaccines. These reviews are essential since influenza viruses often change during the migration between the Southern and Northern Hemispheres.

This means influenza vaccines must be updated annually to include the viruses that will most likely circulate in the upcoming flu season. 

Today, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its recommendations to vaccine manufacturers for the virus strains to be used in influenza (flu) vaccines for the 2025-2026 flu season in the United States.

On March 13, 2025, the FDA stated that after a comprehensive review of U.S. and global surveillance data, the recommendations are similar to those for the previous year’s strain selection.

Furthermore, the FDA does not anticipate any impact on the timing or availability of vaccines in the U.S. This year, about 100 million flu shots were distributed in the U.S.

To inform the selection of the flu virus strains, the FDA convened a meeting of scientific and public health experts from the FDA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Department of Defense. During the meeting, these federal partners collaboratively evaluated and analyzed U.S. and global surveillance data related to the epidemiology and antigenic characteristics of flu viruses currently circulating.

For the ongoing 2024-2025 flu season, most vaccines are trivalent (three-component), and many will be thimerosal-free and egg-based. These flu shots are offered at clinics and community pharmacies in the U.S.

Mar 14, 2025 • 5:46 am CDT
UKHSA March 2025

Since the U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA) declared a national measles incident in parts of England in 2024, cases have been reported in various cities besides London.

So far in 2025, 151 measles cases have been confirmed in Yorkshire and Humber, in the South West, Bristol, Leeds, Hertfordshire, and in London.

As of March 13, 2025, no acute measles-related deaths have been reported in 2025.

Last year, the UKHSA reported the most measles cases (2,911) in England in over a decade.

To England's east, 127,350 people were diagnosed with measles in Europe in 2024, led by Romania (27,568). The WHO says this is the highest number of measles cases in over 25 years.

“Measles is back, and it’s a wake-up call.... without high vaccination rates, there is no health security,” warned Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, in a media statement.

“The measles virus never rests – and neither can we.”

While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recent Travel Health Notice identifies 57 countries reporting measles cases, it does not mention England.

However, the CDC does suggest that anyone visiting a measles outbreak area be fully protected from this contagious virus with the MMR vaccine, which is generally available at clinics and pharmacies in the U.S.

Mar 13, 2025 • 4:55 pm CDT
France Ministry of Health March 12, 2025

As Chikungunya outbreaks continue to expand globally in 2025, France's La Réunion Islanders are urged to be vigilant in eliminating breeding sites.

According to France's Ministry of Health on March 12, 2025, 1,766 new Chikungunya cases were recorded last week. This represents an 18% increase compared to the previous week.

During 2025, 5,041 cases have been reported.

La Reunion's southern municipalities have been the most affected, accounting for 72% of cases since August 2024.

The last Chikungunya epidemic in La Réunion was reported in 2005–2006.

France's island off the east coast of Africa is not alone in reporting cases. In 2024, locally transmitted Chikungunya infections were confirmed in Paris and France's Mediterranean coastal communities.

These areas in France have also reported Dengue and Zika infections, which are also mosquito-transmitted diseases.

Also located in the South Hemisphere, Brazil has had a Chikungunya outbreak again this year, with over 40,000 cases, many centered in its mountainous states.

To alert international travelers to these outbreaks, the U.S. CDC has issued a Travel Health Advisory and suggests people speak with a travel vaccine expert about Chikungunya immunization options in 2025.

Mar 13, 2025 • 11:20 am CDT
PharmaJet 2025

As the world is confronted with an increasing number of countries reporting polio cases and poliovirus detections, an innovative vaccination strategy has been launched in polio hot spots.

According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan reported six WPV1 cases in March 2025. Last year, there were 74 polio cases, primarily in Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh.

To reduce this outbreak, polio vaccination campaigns are deploying innovative delivery solutions.

On March 13, 2025, PharmaJet® announced that their Tropis intradermal (ID) delivery system was used in Pakistan's latest World Health Organization (WHO) polio eradication campaign in February 2025.

Tropis is the first and only needle-free ID delivery technology to achieve WHO prequalification.

Tropis was used to deliver a fractional dose of inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV) in parallel to oral polio vaccine (OPV) administration as part of a WHO-recommended strategy to boost humoral immunity.

Previous data from poliovirus campaigns and routine immunizations in Pakistan, Somalia, and Nigeria have demonstrated that Tropis delivery can improve coverage, decrease cost, and increase acceptability. The data also showed that Tropis is an effective and preferred solution for polio immunization campaigns that can help increase campaign coverage by over 18%.

Also, another study found the potential for up to a 47% decrease in total immunization costs, and 95% of healthcare workers preferred Tropis compared with the SoC.

Paul LaBarre, Vice President of Global Business Development at PharmaJet, commented in a press release, "The Tropis needle-free system is very effective and affordable in campaigns and routine immunizations, protecting nearly 12 million children against poliovirus."

"There is still a lot of work to do, and we are committed to achieving eradication goals so that no child suffers from paralytic polio."

In early 2025, the U.S. CDC reissued a Travel Health Notice regarding polio outbreaks and poliovirus detections in 39 countries to alert travelers of the risks.

In the United States, IPVs have been used to protect people from polio since 2000; OPVs are unavailable in the country.

The CDC recommends that international travelers planning to visit a polio-endemic area speak with a travel vaccine expert about immunization options at least one month before departure abroad.