Infection
COVID-19 vaccine for infants: antibodies persist a year on
During the COVID-19 pandemic immunisation of infants has been a highly contentious and confusing issue. From initial advice
Pfizer/Valneva Lyme disease vaccine persists 6 months on
On 1st December 2022 Pfizer and Valneva reported antibody persistence data 6 months after vaccination with their Lyme disease vaccine candidate, VLA15.
Africa CDC gets mpox vaccine donation from Republic of Korea
During a meeting between Acting Director General of Africa CDC, and KDCA Commissioner it was announced that the KDCA will donate a batch of the mpox vaccine
Marking World AIDS Day 2022: “equalise” theme
1st December 2022 is World AIDS Day, with global communities observing it under the theme “equalise”. This year, the WHO is calling on “leaders and citizens
WHO: Monkeypox virus gets rebranded as Mpox
The WHO announced in November 2022 that, after “consultations with global experts”, it will begin using a preferred term “mpox” for monkeypox.
Group A strep kills child in England with another recovering
In November 2022 it was reported that a child, around the age of 6, had died after catching an infection caused by the group A streptococcus bacteria. Another child was hospitalised and is showing signs of recovery after the bacteria outbreak at a primary school in...
Universal flu vaccine hopes renewed in new data
A study published in Science in November 2022 has given experts in the UK reason to predict that a universal flu vaccine might be available sooner than previously hoped. Scientists in the US shared evidence that their experimental mRNA vaccine offered broad protection...
Relief from UTIs offered by sublingual vaccine
A research paper published in Science Advances suggests the possibility of UTI prevention through a sublingual vaccine. The paper, released in November 2022, details the success of the vaccine in mice and rabbits, indicating that there is hope for human solutions....
WHO launches AMR strategy in Africa during awareness week
In November 2022 the WHO launched a strategy to “respond to the urgent problem of antimalarial drug resistance in Africa”. This coincided with World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, which aims to “improve awareness of the growing threat of resistance to antibiotics and...
Hepatitis E vaccination campaign offers hope in South Sudan
Reported by Epicentre, a group “embedded” in Médecins sans frontières (MSF), progress is being made in a joint vaccination effort in South Sudan. Alongside this vaccination campaign is an Epicentre study to “evaluate the effectiveness in real conditions” of the...
New collaboration: AI steps up to pandemic plate
In November 2022 CEPI and the University of California, Davis announced a partnership agreement to “advance and expand the application of ‘SpillOver’”. This is a viral ranking app that compares the risks presented by animal and human viruses. With funding from CEPI...
CEPI-Gavi-WHO collaboration during Ebola outbreak
Over a month after the declaration of an Ebola outbreak in Uganda in September 2022 the WHO, CEPI, and Gavi issued a statement on the situation. Observing the spread to 7 districts and acknowledging the government-led response, these organisations have “outlined a...
Nature study: vaccine selfishness cost lives
From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic it was clear that each of us would have a different experience. When the vaccines were developed in record time, it came as no surprise that “vaccine nationalism” became prevalent. Described by WHO Director General Dr Tedros...
WHO publishes first list of fungal priority pathogens
In October 2022 the WHO published a report that highlights the “first-ever” list of fungal priority pathogens. This is a “catalogue” of 19 fungi that “represent the greatest threat to public health”. Known as the FPPL, this list is the first global effort to...
British farmers call for bird flu vaccinations
After security measures against avian flu were lifted in Great Britain in August 2022 the outbreak has continued to affect farmers and their stocks. In October the BBC reported that farmers were calling for the inclusion of vaccination in the response strategy. One...
Merck finds frozen Ebola vaccines to test in Uganda spread
As Uganda’s Ebola outbreak continues to claim lives the need for a vaccine grows greater. The outbreak was announced in September 2022, since which at least 28 deaths have been reported, with more suspected. Despite Uganda’s quick and efficient response, the...
Exclusive interview with Dr Jerald Sadoff
After a fantastic few days at the World Vaccine Congress we at Vaccine Nation are just getting our breath back and reflecting on the amazing interviews that we were able to secure on-site. One such interview was an early morning meeting with Dr Jerald Sadoff of...
Vaccine efforts: the thorn in Polio’s side?
Original efforts for Polio eradication have been unsuccessful. Gavi reports that it was “supposed to be eradicated 22 years ago”, yet in 2022 we continue to face obstacles in the way of this goal. In October this year, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI)...
Reports of increasing dangerous pathogen labs
An article in Nature in October 2022 suggested that “in the wake” of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and its human and economic consequences, an increase in high-level biosafety laboratories is expected. Although this might be framed in a positive and prepared light,...
Oxford study shows meningitis vaccine leads to herd immunity
In October 2022 a group of researchers from the University of Oxford reported the results of their study into the effects of the UK’s meningitis vaccination programme. The study, published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection, found that the vaccine “substantially...
