Vaccine News

In the Region of the Americas, outbreaks of Oropouche virus disease have occurred historically in the Amazon region in rural and urban communities in Brazil, Colombia, Ciba, Ecuador, French Guiana, Panama, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago.

On December 5, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued Disease Outbreak News regarding the current outbreak.

As of late November 2024, a total of 11,634 confirmed Oropouche cases, including two deaths, have been reported in the Region of the Americas across ten countries and one territory: Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Peru and the United States of America.

In the USA, the Florida Department of Health published its Arbovirus Surveillance Update 48 on November 30, 2024, revealing 90 travel-associated Oropouche fever cases have been reported this year in travelers to Cuba.

The WHO's News report highlights the need to strengthen epidemiological and entomological surveillance and reinforce the population's preventive measures.

This advice is crucial due to the expansion of the virus's transmission area and the growing need to understand better the disease spectrum, including possible new transmission routes. Oropouche is spread primarily by the bite of infected midges (small flies) and mosquitoes.

While it is unknown if Oropouche can be spread by sex, travelers to outbreak areas should take precautions during travel and for six weeks after returning to the USA from abroad.

According to the U.S. CDC, these vectors could affect the general population and vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, their fetuses, and newborns.

Unfortunately, there are no Oropouche preventive vaccines available in 2024.

Based on available information, the WHO assesses the overall public health risk posed by the Oropouche virus as high at the regional level and low at the global level. Based on the current information on this event, WHO advises against applying travel or trade restrictions.

The U.S. CDC today published a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that confirmed Nirsevimab (Beyfortus™), a U.S. FDA-approved monoclonal antibody that protects infants and young children against severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, experienced significant uptake in New York City (NYC).

Among infants born in NYC during the recommended nirsevimab administration period for the 2023–24 RSV season and who reportedly received nirsevimab, 37% of Vaccines for Children (VFC)–eligible and 45% of non–VFC–eligible infants received it within the first 7 days of life.

These authors wrote on December 5, 2024, 'Ensuring birthing hospital VFC enrollment and establishing protocols to offer nirsevimab to eligible infants before hospital discharge might increase nirsevimab administration within the first week of life.'

Furthermore, Beyfortus has been found to be very protective.

On November 26, 2024, a study published by The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal concluded that in immunized infants, RSV-positive bronchiolitis was less frequent and less severe, with a significantly reduced hospitalization length than in nonimmunized infants, producing substantial healthcare cost savings.

The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced it has granted prequalification to the molecular diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB) called Xpert® MTB/RIF Ultra.

As of December 5, 2024, this is the first test for TB diagnosis and antibiotic susceptibility testing that meets WHO's prequalification standards.

This nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) Xpert® MTB/RIF Ultra detects the genetic material of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB, in sputum samples and provides accurate results within hours.

Simultaneously, the test identifies mutations associated with rifampicin resistance, a key indicator of multidrug-resistant TB.

"This first prequalification of a diagnostic test for tuberculosis marks a critical milestone in WHO's efforts to support countries in scaling up and accelerating access to high-quality TB assays that meet both WHO recommendations and its stringent quality, safety, and performance standards," said Dr. Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products, in a press release.

"It underscores the importance of such groundbreaking diagnostic tools in addressing one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases."

Tuberculosis outbreaks are one of the world's leading infectious disease killers, causing over a million deaths annually and imposing immense socioeconomic burdens, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Accurate and early detection of TB, especially drug-resistant strains, remains a critical and challenging global health priority.

In the United States, TB cases have been increasing over the past few years.

Additionally, TB is a vaccine-preventable disease, with over 10 BCG vaccines available worldwide.

A decade after the deadliest Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in history, Sierra Leone will become the first country to launch a preventive Ebola vaccination campaign targeting 20,000 frontline workers in all 16 districts across the country.

A single dose of the Ebola vaccine Ervebo will be administered to health care professionals, frontline workers, and first responders such as motorbike riders/ambulance drivers, traditional healers, religious leaders, security forces, and others who are at high risk of being exposed to EVD.

"Protecting our frontline workers is vital to our National Health Security Plan, ensuring preparedness and resilience against future health threats. This is an investment in the safety of our people and a healthier Sierra Leone," said Dr Austin Demby, Minister of Health, Sierra Leone, in a press release on December 4, 2024.

This preventive vaccination campaign comes after the deadly 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. That outbreak resulted in more than 11,000 deaths in 10 countries around the world.

Of these, Sierra Leone reported close to 4,000 deaths. 

The first cases of EVD were detected in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1976. The initial Zaire Ebolavirus outbreak was confirmed in a village near the Ebola River.

Merck Ervebo® Ebola Vaccine (rVSV-ZEBOV-GP, rVSV-ZEBOV, v920) is a live, recombinant, replication-competent Orthoebolavirus zairense vaccine that the U.S. FDA approved on December 19, 2019. Orthoebolaviruses are a group of four viruses that cause EVD.

Vaccines for the Sierra Leone campaign are sourced from the Gavi-funded global vaccine stockpile administered by the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision.

Ervebo is not commercially available in the U.S.

With avian influenza continuing to circulate the globe, various countries have invested in protecting people from a potential pandemic.

The UK Government today announced that CSL Seqirus UK Limited will manufacture more than five million doses of human H5 influenza vaccine.

This vaccine purchase, confirmed on December 3, 2024, was part of long-established plans to boost the UK's access to vaccines for a wider range of pathogens with pandemic potential.

The UK. Health Security Agency announced on September 26, 2023, that it signed an advance purchase agreement with CSL Seqirus to produce over 100 million influenza pandemic vaccines at the Liverpool facility if or when they are needed.

In a media release, Dr. Meera Chand, Emerging Infection Lead at the UK Health Security Agency, said, "It is important for us to be prepared against a range of different influenza viruses that may pose human health risks. Early access to vaccines saves lives."

"Adding vaccines to the interventions already available will help us prepare for a wider range of threats."

The influenza A(H5N1) virus has been causing a prolonged global outbreak, primarily in birds but including various mammals. If this virus were to start spreading among humans, of which there is no evidence at this stage, the human H5 influenza vaccine would be used.

Like the UK, the U.S. government has previously signed various agreements for avian pandemic vaccines.

The U.S. FDA authorized CSL Seqirus Inc. Audenz™ (Influenza A(H5N1) Monovalent Vaccine, Adjuvanted) cell-based vaccine on January 31, 2020. On November 14, 2013, the FDA licensed the I.D. Biomedical Corporation Influenza A (H5N1) Virus Monovalent Vaccine, Adjuvanted (STN#: 125419), to prevent H5N1 influenza disease. 

These avian influenza vaccines are not commercially available.

After several years of steady increases in air travel, U.S. travelers set a new all-time record for passengers flown. Today, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released data surpassing previous Thanksgiving holiday volumes.

On Monday, 12/2/2024, 2,828,590 people passed through TSA security at an airport, exceeding 2,266,792 flyers in 2023.

And last Sunday, 3,087,393 people flew on a commercial airline, setting a new single-day record.

To meet this exceptional consumer demand, TSA adjusts processes and procedures to achieve the highest transportation security and customer satisfaction levels.

One area of service is TSA PreCheck®, where about 99% of passengers wait less than 10 minutes to pass through security. In 2024, more than 200 airports and 90+ airlines will provide TSA PreCheck®.

Additionally, the TSA uses canines as a critical component of its multilayered security strategy.

To celebrate this unique service, the TSA has released the 2025 Canine Calendar, an annual tradition honoring the agency’s more than 1,000 explosives detection canines working across the U.S.

The Calendar is now available for immediate download.