Researchers are developing an experimental bird flu mRNA vaccine

by

Researchers are developing an mRNA-based vaccine against the contagious H5N1 bird flu virus that is spreading rapidly among poultry and cattle and has already infected two humans in the United States.

The experimental vaccine is being produced using the same techniques as the ones used to make mRNA vaccines for the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers said that mRNA vaccines are faster to develop and target to specific virus strains compared with traditional vaccines.

“The mRNA technology allows us to be much more agile in developing vaccines; we can start creating a mRNA vaccine within hours of sequencing a new viral strain with pandemic potential,” said senior researcher Scott Hensley, a professor of Microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in a press release. “During previous influenza pandemics, like the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, vaccines were difficult to manufacture and did not become available until after the initial pandemic waves subsided.”

Read more at Quartz.

How to Stay Safe from Mpox This Summer

by

We haven’t reached the summer solstice just yet, but by all other accounts, summer is here. With its arrival, summer brings celebrations of many kinds. As people gather at festivals and other crowded events, the risk for transmitting diseases like mpox increases. In Colorado, we are already seeing an increase in mpox transmission; there have been 61 cases in 2024 as of May 22. You might be wondering what exactly mpox is and how you can stay safe. Today, we’ll share just that, along with who’s most at risk and information on treatments and vaccines.

What is mpox?

Mpox is a viral infection that most notably causes a rash that can appear on the hands, feet, chest, face, mouth, or areas around the genitals. While most infected people will recover within 2 – 4 weeks, mpox can cause severe illness. The rash from mpox starts out looking like pimples, but progresses to blister and then scab and causes itching and pain. The rash is not considered fully healed until a new layer of skin has formed. 

Other symptoms of mpox include flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, and achiness. Sore throat, congestion, or cough may also occur. Symptoms of mpox begin within 21 days of exposure to and may not develop until up to that point. Flu-like symptoms appear first and the rash appears 1 – 4 days later. 

How is mpox spread?

Mpox is spread through close skin-to-skin, intimate, or sexual contact with an infected person. This includes contact with mpox rashes or scabs, contact with saliva, mucus, bodily fluids from an infected person, or extended close face-to-face talking and breathing. Mpox is also spread through contact with objects such as bedding, clothing, or surfaces used by an infected person. 

Mpox is a zoonotic disease, which means it can spread from animals to humans and vice versa. People infected with mpox should avoid contact with animals, including pets, to prevent further spread of the virus. 

It’s not clear if mpox can spread in pools, hot tubs, or splash pads, but the mpox virus is killed in water containing the proper chlorine level recommended by the CDC for disinfection. 

Who is most at risk of contracting mpox?

Anyone can get mpox. The virus does not discriminate. That said, data does indicate that certain people may be at increased risk. These include:

  • Men who have sex with men
  • Transgender people
  • Gender-diverse people
  • Sex workers
  • People who have had (in the last 6 months) or will have more than one sexual or intimate partner
  • People who have one or more sexually transmitted infections
  • People who have sex at large public events in areas with mpox transmission
What should I do if I think I’ve been exposed to mpox?

If you think you’ve been exposed to mpox, you should contact a healthcare provider. Currently, testing is only available to people experiencing a rash, sores, or bumps. Even if you have previously been vaccinated or infected with mpox, you should get tested if you develop a rash and think you may have been exposed. 

At your testing appointment, you will need to take preventive measures to ensure you don’t transmit mpox to others. You will need to wear a mask that completely covers both your nose and mouth and make sure that any rashes or sores are completely covered by either clothing or bandages. 

You can find a list of providers who offer mpox testing on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) website.

If you do test positive for mpox, you will need to isolate yourself from others including those you live with and pets. You should not share any personal items such as soap or toothbrushes. Avoid using razors, contact lenses, and makeup until your rash is fully healed to keep from spreading mpox to other body parts. You should also wash dishes immediately after use. You can find more in-depth isolation guidance, including how to properly disinfect surfaces and laundry, from CDPHE.

You should also notify others with whom you have been in close contact after an mpox diagnosis. This includes not only sexual or intimate partners, but people you’ve hugged, cuddled, or kissed, or shared cups, utensils, towels, bedding, or other objects with. If you prefer to notify people anonymously, there are services like tellyourpartner.org that will notify them and assist them with testing recommendations.

What about vaccines and treatments?  

There is not a specific treatment for mpox. Medicines like over the counter pain relievers and rash relief products can help manage symptoms. If you are at risk for or develop a severe infection, your provider may order antiviral treatment which will help lower the amount of the virus in your body. While we don’t have specific treatments for mpox, we can help prevent its spread by avoiding social gatherings such as raves, parties, or clubs where there is minimal clothing and a chance for close skin-to-skin contact. Staying home if you feel sick is another important way to prevent transmission of diseases like mpox. 

While avoiding gatherings and situations where mpox can spread this summer is helpful, the mpox vaccine is the best way to prevent the spread of mpox. Anyone who thinks they are at risk of exposure to mpox can be vaccinated. You should get vaccinated if you have had intimate or sexual contact with a person at risk of contracting mpox or who may have an mpox infection. Two doses of the mpox vaccine four weeks apart are needed for maximum protection. It will take two weeks after the second dose to be fully protected. Get vaccinated as soon as possible if you are exposed to mpox. 

The mpox vaccine can be given intradermally (between the top layers of skin) or subcutaneously into the fat layer underneath the skin on the back of the arm. Intradermal vaccination may leave a scar. You can ask for subcutaneous vaccination if you’d like to avoid the risk of visible scarring. Both methods of vaccination are equally effective.

You can find a list of Colorado mpox vaccine providers on CDPHE’s website. The vaccine is free and you will not need to show an ID or insurance to receive it.

Vaccines, like the mpox vaccine, are an important tool to ensure a safe and healthy summer. Ensure you and your loved ones are protected. If you have questions about mpox or the mpox vaccine, contact a trusted source of information like your medical provider or your local public health agency. 

Immunize Colorado was formed in 1991 in response to alarmingly low vaccination rates across the state. At the time, only about 50% of Colorado’s children were adequately vaccinated. A group of physicians and other concerned individuals came together to strategize how to protect Coloradans from vaccine-preventable diseases and increase vaccine uptake. Much work remains. Discover ways to support our commitment to healthy Colorado communities at our website or make a donation today!

This COVID vaccine program offered a ‘bridge’ to uninsured adults, and then the funding crumbled

by

Uninsured adults will lose an option this August to get vaccinated against COVID for free, weeks before an updated vaccine is expected to be released going into respiratory virus season.

Launched in 2023 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Bridge Access Program began as a way to connect U.S. adults with little to no health insurance to COVID vaccines. It was set into motion just as those vaccines shifted from federal administrators to commercial markets, which complicated access for many who had previously enjoyed more freedom over where they received their dose.

Rather than anyone being able to get a free shot wherever they could get an appointment, people with health coverage can seek out COVID vaccines at sites approved by their insurance plans – or pay out of pocket.

Read more at PBS.

HPV Vaccines Prevent Cancer in Men as Well as Women, New Research Suggests

by

New research suggests the HPV vaccine is preventing cancer in men, as well as in women, but fewer boys than girls are getting the shots in the United States.

The HPV vaccine was developed to prevent cervical cancer in women and experts give it credit, along with screening, for lowering cervical cancer rates. Evidence that the shots are preventing HPV-related cancers in men has been slower to emerge, but the new research suggests vaccinated men have fewer cancers of the mouth and throat compared to those who didn’t get the shots. These cancers are more than twice as common in men than in women.

For the study, researchers compared 3.4 million people of similar ages — half vaccinated versus half unvaccinated — in a large health care dataset.

Read more at Time.

CDC says vaccination could protect the U.S. from more dangerous mpox virus

by

As concerns mount about a large outbreak of an especially virulent form of mpox in central Africa and an uptick in U.S. cases since early last year, the mpox vaccine appears to give long-term protection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.

In a separate report, the CDC indicated that overall new mpox infections across the U.S. have remained at a steady, low level — about 60 cases weekly, compared with 3,000 cases a week at the outbreak’s summer 2022 peak — in recent months. However, cases so far this year are elevated nationally compared with the same period in 2023 and have seen a sharp increase in New York City. 

People who have gotten two doses of the Jynneos mpox vaccine are protected against infection and don’t need a booster at this time, according to the CDC. 

Read more at NBC.

Colorado has most normal respiratory virus season since start of pandemic, but COVID still taking outsized toll

by

Colorado has wrapped up its first relatively ordinary respiratory disease season since the pandemic began, with no unusually large or strangely timed spikes in illness.

But with COVID-19 still in the mix, this new normal still means a higher level of severe illness and death than the state experienced before 2020.

In the fall of 2020 and 2021, Colorado and the country as a whole saw large waves of COVID-19, but almost none of the usual illnesses from flu and respiratory syncytial virus. RSV causes colds for most people, but can be severe for babies and older people, particularly those with other health conditions.

Read more at The Denver Post.

CDC to end free COVID vaccine program for uninsured early

by

A federal program providing free COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured and underinsured adults is shutting down this summer, before the fall rollout of updated vaccines to fight against the latest variants. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said its Bridge Access Program will end in August because of a lack of funding. The program has provided more than 1.4 million free COVID-19 vaccines since it launched in September 2023 at a cost of more than $1 billion. 

The Bridge Access Program was meant to be temporary and was originally scheduled to end in December 2024.  

Read more at The Hill.

C.D.C. Warns of a Resurgence of Mpox

by

With Pride events scheduled worldwide over the coming weeks, U.S. officials are bracing for a return of mpox, the infectious disease formerly called monkeypox that struck tens of thousands of gay and bisexual men worldwide in 2022. A combination of behavioral changes and vaccination quelled that outbreak, but a majority of those at risk have not yet been immunized.

On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned of a deadlier version of mpox that is ravaging the Democratic Republic of Congo and urged people at risk to be vaccinated as soon as possible. No cases of that subtype have been identified outside Africa so far. But the escalating epidemic in Congo nevertheless poses a global threat, just as infections in Nigeria set off the 2022 outbreak, experts said.

Read more at The New York Times.

How many people did we save with social distancing and COVID vaccines? CU researchers say nearly a million

by

Before the first COVID-19 vaccine became available, Americans radically changed their behavior to avoid getting the virus by social distancing and wearing masks. New research from CU Boulder says that change, along with vaccines, saved more than 800,000 lives.

The cost — and the payoff — of social distancing

Social distancing allowed 68 percent of Americans to get vaccinated before they contracted the virus, which meant they had much better survival rates than people who contracted the virus before getting vaccinated. Without the behavioral changes, the paper’s authors estimate there would have been 60,000 more deaths each day during the peak of the pandemic.

Read more at CPR. 

A dose of reality on adult vaccinations

by

The number of children who received their routine vaccinations declined during the pandemic, so public health officials have been focusing on getting kids back up to date. They should also be paying attention to adults as a new, first-of-its-kind report quantifying the economic impact of adult immunizations makes clear.

Researchers at the nonprofit Office of Health Economics, based in London, analyzed four adult vaccine programs — for the flu, pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and shingles — across 10 countries including Australia, France, Japan, and the United States. They found that adult vaccination programs paid for themselves many times over, returning up to 19 times the initial investment in societal benefits.

Read more at STAT.

Immunize Colorado