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December 2024 news

I can't believe it's December already! This means we have a month of reflection ahead, looking back at the year, and we will no doubt see some reports trickling through about infectious diseases epidemiology as the year draws to a close. Just at the end of November Texas reported its first locally acquired case of Dengue for the year. Locally acquired. Florida has had 66 cases, and California has reported 15 cases this year.

I'll be updating all the vaccine portals with relevant links and data where available over the festive period. (Yes, I do actually do this for fun. Happy Christmas to me)

  • 1st Dec: Diarrhoea vaccine success? Check out this Lancet article: The impact of vaccines for diarrhoea on antibiotic use among children in five low-resource settings: a comparative simulation study

  • 2nd Dec: This is an interesting read if you deal with celebrities in your clinic. As a travel health nurse in a private clinic, it was not uncommon for me to see celebrities about to do a tour abroad, or game show contestants, or charity expeditions. This might form a useful revalidation reflection for any nurses who deal with celebrities. Some good 'pause for thought' considerations.

  • 2nd Dec: I've always been a bit suspicious of cucumbers. This confirms my fears!! US Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Cucumbers Under Investigation by FDA and CDC.

  • 3rd Dec: Malaria guidelines updated today! And in tandem, so have the statistics for imported malaria.

  • Also this enlightening report has come out for this year- travel associated infections in the UK. So much epidemiology to read up on! That's my weekend planned. Seeing these reports always makes me reflect on WHY it's important to practice travel health effectively. It's as much about protecting the UK as it is the individual traveller. Worth noting the 700% increase in imported Zika cases, 201% increase in imported Dengue cases this year, and a 71% increase in imported Chikungunya cases. Malaria imported cases are at the highest they have been in 20 years! Thankfully on the brighter side, we have had no imported Yellow fever or JE cases, and just one cholera case. Let's all go to town on bite avoidance advice though with statistics like the above.

  • 3rd Dec: Unknown disease kills 143 people in south-west DRC. (UPDATE Dec 24: turns out it was malaria)

  • Whether you are practicing travel health or not, remember how COVID-19 began. It's so important to keep up with what's happening around the world with regards to unknown diseases. And of course, known ones as well. This case study, published in TMAID this month, explores coordinated public health actions following the identification of a measles case arriving on an international flight, Spain: December 2022–January 2023.

  • 3rd Dec: Check out this intriguing headline: Administering the BCG vaccine during the active phase of COVID-19 may help protect against the development of long COVID.

  • 3rd Dec: MHRA update: Prescribers working in primary care may now prescribe, and community pharmacists may now supply antiviral medicines (oseltamivir and zanamivir) for the prophylaxis and treatment of flu at NHS expense. This is in accordance with NICE guidance, and Schedule 2 to the National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts Regulations 2004), commonly known as the Grey List or Selected List Scheme (SLS).

  • 4th Dec: Intranasal pertussis vaccine? BPZE1 is designed to overcome deficiencies of current pertussis vaccines, including poor durability of protection and failure to prevent nasopharyngeal B. pertussis colonisation that leads to escape mutants and transmission to vulnerable infants. Looks set to be entering phase 3 trials in 2025...

  • and this is interesting too: The quest for a longer-lasting whooping cough vaccine

  • 5th Dec: MORE EPIDEMIOLOGY! The Pertussis stats are in! In England, provisionally there were 14,453 laboratory confirmed cases of pertussis reported to the UKHSA between January and October 2024, with 555 cases in January 2024, increasing by month to 3,046 in May and then decreasing by month to 509 in October. This compares with just 856 laboratory confirmed cases of pertussis reported throughout 2023. There have been 10 sad deaths in infants who developed pertussis between January and November 2024. Whilst monthly case numbers in 2024 have fallen since May, pertussis activity remains high so keep looking for those vaccination opportunities! To put this in perspective, in the 12 years prior to the introduction of maternal pertussis vaccination in October 2012, 63 deaths occurred in babies aged under one year with confirmed pertussis. Since the introduction of pertussis vaccination in pregnancy, from 2013 to the end of October 2024, there have been 31 deaths in babies with confirmed pertussis who were all too young to be fully protected by infant vaccination. Sadly, this includes the most recent 10 deaths. Of the 31 infants that died, 25 had mothers who were not vaccinated in pregnancy.

  • 5th Dec 2024: TB vaccines: Achievable not aspirational

  • 5th Dec: Flu vaccine deadline looms as hospital admissions double: Latest UKHSA data indicates more flu is already circulating this winter compared to last year. Hospitalisations jumped to 3.96 per 100,000 this week, compared with 1.78 per 100,000 in the previous week’s report. Vaccine uptake data indicates that 36% of those under 65 years in a clinical risk group, 31.9% of pregnant women and 71.4% of all those aged 65 years and over have been vaccinated so far this season – a lower percentage compared to the same time last year. Keep those flu jabs coming!! Also this week, RSV is hovering at medium levels of activity, with increases seen in most age groups, the highest activity is in under 5's at the moment— there is some sign of stabilisation in the number of infants needing seen in hospital emergency departments for bronchiolitis, the main clinical condition associated with RSV.

  • 6th Dec: Congratulations to our travel health matriarch, Jane Chiodini for her honorary fellowship with the RCPSG. She's been an inspiration to travel healthers around the world for years. What would we do without Jane?

  • 6th Dec: This article caught my eye and maybe the title will catch yours too? New Cancer Vaccines on the Horizon: Renewed Hope or Hype?

  • 9th Dec: Vaccine update has landed. This information had passed me by from September, so posting it here in case you weren't aware either. Please note that on 12 September 2024 aQIV has received approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to be licensed from age 50 years and over. This means that those who are 64 years old turning 65 by the 31 March 2025 (and therefore eligible for flu vaccination) no longer have to be offered the vaccine ‘off-label’ as this will now be within the terms of the license. The Influenza chapter of the Green Book will be updated to reflect this new license age. However, for this year providers should follow the 2024 to 2025 annual flu letter reimbursement advice and the written instructions of the existing PGD. This means that the vaccine will not be reimbursed if offered to anyone outside of the older age cohort during the 2024 to 2025 season and can only be given under a PSD.

  • 10th Dec: This leaflet for pregnant women has now been updated to include RSV

  • 10th Dec: First cucumbers, now sprouts! Try not to let this salmonella outbreak from sprouts put you off your Christmas dinner later this month!

  • 11th Dec: UKHSA blogs of interest: How human organs grown in labs are helping to develop the vaccines of the future and How we monitor invasive mosquitoes and stop them spreading in the UK

  • and this is flippin' AWESOME! Harmless skin bacteria engineered to immunise mice against tetanus and diphtheria

  • 11th Dec: The World Malaria Report 2024 has been published. Very disappointing to see the amount of cases reaching 263 million in 2023. I am particularly interested in the parts on inequalities, it was a bit of an eye-opener. Get the kettle on for a BIG read. The Guardian reported on it if you want a quick summary.

  • 12th Dec: Book your place at the fabulous joint RCN/NaTHNaC travel health conference- registration is now open! Always a great event!

  • 14th Dec 2024: Another sad and preventable rabies death. 27-Year-Old Man Dies Of Rabies After Stray Dog And Cat Bites In Kalyan; Delayed Vaccine Blamed

  • 16th Dec: You probably know that I always love a light-hearted article with a deeper, darker, more serious undertone. And this one didn't disappoint. Living happily ever after? The hidden health risks of Disney princesses. Reminds me of the James Bond piece in TMAID which I really loved and wrote a review about for the BGTHA in 2021: No time to die: An in-depth analysis of James Bond's exposure to infectious agents. Who says academic reading and writing can't be fun as well as informative?

  • 17th Dec 2024: You probably also know I love an intriguing article title. This one doesn't disappoint: Why cats are the new pigs – and could spark the next pandemic. There also happen to be some VERY CUTE pictures in this article. Check it out! (it might put you off sleeping with your cat on your bed though).

  • 18th Dec 2024: Lovely little poster from ISTM on the health BENEFITS of travel! The fact sheet was inspired by a presentation from ISTM President Gerard Flaherty at the NECTM this year. I personally really enjoyed that presentation. It also sparked an episode of ISTM's Travel Unravelled podcast about the health benefits of travel. I'm also really loving all the journal articles that are focusing on AI in travel medicine lately and looking forward to getting through some articles I've saved around it on my very long reading list over Christmas.

  • 19th Dec 2024: Information is published every two years by the WHO on yellow fever requirements for each member state and we can expect to see some country recommendation changes in 2025. Remember that one of the joys of travel health is that it can actually be detrimental to commit things to memory so remember to keep forgetting everything you have learned about each country requirement - always consult the database!!

  • 19th Dec 2024: Read all about why California has declared a state of emergency because of bird flu (also worth a read if you are not sure what milk has got to do with flu...)

  • 20th Dec 2024: The Rwandan government today declared the end of the country's Marburg virus outbreak, after passing 42 days with no new cases since the last patient was discharged from the hospital and tested twice to confirm negative. The time period represents two virus incubation periods.

  • 24th Dec 2024: Interesting bit of info: The most visited pages last Christmas Day and Boxing Day on the NHSE website were on alcohol, burns, rabies and animal bites. Careful what kind of parties you are throwing this Christmas!

  • 24th Dec 2024: Updates to the smallpox and mpox Green Book chapter: Updated epidemiology following clade I cases in UK and clarification of advice in the event of a failed intradermal administration.

  • 24th Dec 2024: An increase in cases of Dengue, Oropouche and Zika have been reported in the Caribbean. Check out Travel Health Pros' advice on this increase in IBD's here.

  • 25th Dec 2024: HAPPY CHRISTMAS ALL :-)

  • 28th Dec 2024: Daily express article about 2024 being the 'year of the cancer vaccine'. It postulates that in the years to come, vaccines may become a common part of cancer treatment to cut risk of recurrence. Good stuff that if it comes off!

And to finish the year off on kind of a positive forward-looking note? Here is the WHO priority list for vaccine development - with a focus on avoiding certain biases in the industry. It begins by saying "Vaccine development is traditionally driven by financial return opportunities for investors, disease outbreaks, and a specific focus on emerging diseases. However, a new systematic, transparent, and inclusive approach aims to prioritise pathogens based on socioeconomic and public health criteria." Among the factors considered in the analysis were the contribution to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), highlighting the growing recognition of the role of vaccines in reducing the burden of AMR. The list comprises 17 priority pathogens, with five classified as priorities in all regions and six identified as critical in specific areas.

November 2024 news

...And while we are on interesting titles..... A new device for delivering drugs without needles draws inspiration from the elegant squid

  • 5th Nov: WHO study lists top endemic pathogens for which new vaccines are urgently needed

  • 6th Nov: This useful public document has been updated for parents and carers about the pre-school vaccines. Thanks Jaz, for pointing out the updated version! The common questions in it are useful for queries that can arise in vaccination settings, especially when it comes to little ones. I've also added this to the consultation tools section of the website.

  • 7th Nov: ANOTHER (household contact) case of mpox bringing the total UK cases to 4.

  • 8th Nov: I know this is American and not UK guidance, but the UK often looks to America for evidence around recommendations. I thought it was interesting to see the recommendations in America for certain vaccines programmes after the latest advisory committee meeting (their version of the JCVI). Could this give us a clue about what we can expect in the UK? Or is it simply a different way of doing things?

Some points of note in the American guidance are:

They have lowered the age of PCV from 65 to age 50 in America. The rate of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) among Black adults aged 50 or older exceeds the average rate of IPD for all adults aged 65 or older. The goal of this age-based change is to reduce disease in demographic groups with the highest burden of disease. FUN FACT: did you know that there are two 24-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines and one 31-valent pneumococcal conjugated vaccine in development?

In America two doses of MenACWY are routinely recommended, with the first dose at age 11-12 and a second dose at age 16. FUN FACT: did you know that there is a new pentavalent vaccine from Pfizer (brand name Penbraya) that combines MenACWY with the MenB vaccine? And another pentavalent vaccine version by GSK is up for regulatory decision in February 2025.

RSV vaccine has both age and risk-based recommendations in America. Everyone aged 75 or older has a dose of RSV vaccine. Adults aged 60-75 with risk factors for severe RSV are also recommended to receive a dose of RSV vaccine. The conditions associated with increased risk for severe RSV disease include lung disease, heart disease, immune compromise, diabetes, obesity with BMI of 40 or higher, neurologic or neuromuscular conditions, chronic kidney disease, liver disorders, and hematologic disorders. Frailty, as well as living in a nursing home or other long-term care facility, are other risk factors for severe RSV disease. FUN FACT: did you know that there are three RSV vaccines? Two are protein subunit vaccines. One is by Pfizer (brand name Abrysvo) that does not contain an adjuvant. The other protein-based RSV vaccine by GSK (brand name Arexvy) does contain an adjuvant. The third RSV vaccine by Moderna (brand name mRESVIA) uses an mRNA platform. Only Abrysvo can be given during pregnancy. Unlike in the UK where we give RSV vaccine in every pregnancy, in America they do not give again for subsequent pregnancies. However, infants born to women who were vaccinated during a prior pregnancy should receive nirsevimab.

  • 11th Nov: Wondering why it all went quiet around the combined flu and COVID-19 vaccine? Read all about it here.

  • 12th Nov: A couple of branding changes to some UKHSA docs: Rabies risk for travellers leaflet and the bat leaflet.

  • 12th Nov: Teenager in critical condition with Canada’s first human case of bird flu

  • 12th Nov: The guidance for managing meningococcal disease has also had some updates lately - in September there was a big update, and then in October there was an addition about the sharing of Shisha, and this month the ciprofloxacin section was updated.

  • 13th Nov: Check out this very important bit of advice around potential changes to Shingles vaccine eligibility from the JCVI - and watch that space!

  • 13th Nov: The October JCVI meeting minutes have been published. Do have a look at what they have been discussing and why. It's always tricky when things change, but knowing the rationale goes a long way towards accepting the changes and embracing them.

  • 14th Nov: Another one to watch. Check out the Spring COVID-19 vaccine programme advice. Using the bespoke, non-standard cost-effectiveness assessment developed by DHSC, JCVI advises that the following groups should be offered COVID-19 vaccination in spring 2025: adults aged 75 years and over, residents in a care home for older adults, and individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed. Autumn 2025 and spring 2026 look set to be similar. If you are interested in the financial side of things as well, it's a useful read for the details and the rationales.

  • 14th Nov: Oh dear. This was quite shocking. The WHO have worked out what our measles stats were looking like during 2023. Unfortunately, worldwide, there were an estimated 10.3 million cases of measles in 2023, a 20% increase from 2022. The WHO blames it on low uptake of vaccination, describing measles deaths as; "an unacceptable death toll". I am inclined to agree. The WHO Director-General sums it up when he says, "Measles vaccine has saved more lives than any other vaccine in the past 50 years".

  • 15th Nov: Vaccine update has landed today. Also the Shingrix PGD has been updated to remove Zostavax, which is now obsolete.

  • 15th Nov: Now, I don't want to get too political: There are certain conversations that are reserved for 'down the pub'. However, this headline worries me a tad; RFK Jr chosen as Donald Trump's health secretary - as president-elect says he will do 'unbelievable things'. I'm worried about what these 'unbelievable things' will be in relation to vaccines, given this chap's views... he's already talking of getting rid of fluoride in water. Since winning the presidency, President-elect Trump has nominated several controversial picks to lead America’s public health agencies. These include Robert F. Kennedy Jr, a noted vaccine skeptic who has expressed a desire to cut the NIH workforce and refocus the agency on chronic diseases over infectious diseases, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services; Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a health economist who criticised public health measures during the COVID-19 response and a vocal critic of NIH, to lead NIH; and Dr. Dave Weldon, a former Congressman who has questioned vaccine safety, to lead CDC. Join me in the pub for further thoughts.

  • 18th Nov: Vaccine uptake in school children for 2023/2024 report is out. some highlights are that 52.2% (3,498,576 out of 6,708,016 ) of school-aged children who were eligible in both seasons (Reception to Year 9 combined) were vaccinated, compared with 51.9% (3,502,566 out of 6,747,523) in the 2022 to 2023 season. So, a slight increase on last year, but still way lower than we would like. The secondary school age children cohort was the highest uptake seen in a season for that group, however they were also the lowest uptake cohort out of them all at 42.9% uptake. Highest uptake last year was primary school kids at 55.1%.

  • 19th Nov: First case of mpox clade 1b in the USA.

  • 20th Nov: There's a new postcard from UKHSA to remind people about getting their shingles vaccines- check it out!

  • 20th Nov: Sad news for Pakistan (and humankind in general) as they hit their 50th case of polio this year: A 20 month old girl who has been paralysed from something that so easily could have been prevented. They have also had more than 20,000 cases of dengue this year in Pakistan.

  • 20th Nov: This malaria vaccine is delivered by a mosquito bite. Bites from insects infected with modified malaria parasites boosted immunity and stopped people from contracting the disease. I love all this stuff!!!

  • 21st Nov: More promotional material updates- there's been an update to some of the vaccination in pregnancy leaflets to include RSV.

  • And while we are on the topic of RSV, well done everyone!! We have hit over 1 million RSV vaccinations administered in just the first two months of the programme. That's down to YOU!!! A recent study in the Lancet showed that the RSV vaccination programme could prevent 5,000 hospitalisations and 15,000 A&E attendances for infants – a critical, life-saving step forward to help front line staff prepare for increased winter pressures. The same modelling also suggests that the first season of the older adult’s catch-up programme alone could prevent around 2,500 hospital admissions, 15,000 GP visits and 60,000 RSV illnesses in adults in the older age group.

  • 22nd Nov: Two important updates to the Green Book: Chapter 2 (Consent) & Chapter 8 (Adverse event management). Get the kettle on for some reading! Chapter 2 is mainly clarifying some things. However, chapter 8 in particular has had quite an extensive update with highlights being: Updates to the WHO definitions of adverse events following immunisation. Updates to immunisation error and vaccine product adverse event sections. New paragraphs defining anxiety related adverse events and vaccine product quality adverse events. Changes to managing common vaccine-induced AEFIs to include management fever following Bexsero. Changes to the section on thiomersal to clarify that this is no longer used in vaccines routinely administered to children. New section on hypotonic-hyporesponsive episodes following vaccination. AND extensive re-write of the section on recognition and management of anaphylaxis. Lots of updates, PHEW!

  • 22nd Nov: A new blood surveillance project has begun to monitor tropical disease carriage in donors. Very important as some tropical diseases are not just 'tropical' anymore... climate change is driving diseases spread by migrating insects such as TBE, WNV and Usutu further north.

  • 23rd Nov: To all nursing support workers: HAPPY NURSING SUPPORT WORKERS DAY!!! Hope you have plenty of brews made for you this week :-) (hint hint, fellow nurses)

  • 28th Nov: This article 'Researchers Are Exploring the Role of Shingles—and a Protective Role of Shingles Vaccine—in Dementia' was written last month and explores some of the considerations when spotting correlations between seemingly-linked observations that may or may not be connected. A good one to read if you are interested in critical analysis, referring to a familiar vaccine 'Shingrix' in relation to the recent (and very exciting) claims that is can lower dementia risk.

  • 28th Nov: Good news regarding Men C, but not so good for Men B... Press release: UK on brink of defeating meningococcal C

  • 29th Nov: Flu cases have jumped by three times the rates at this point last year - and it's come early too :-(

And to finish the month off, a fifth case of Mpox Clade 1b has been found in the UK. This one is following travel to Uganda and is unrelated to the previous four UK cases. Fortunately, despite the higher death rate with Clade 1b, all of the first four cases are recovered now. It's well worth being prepared for any further cases. In development is a new trial to assess the vaccine in pregnant women and infants. This is reassuring.

Disappointing start to November :( Last week it was all over the news about swabbing skin (or not) prior to administering injections. A B12 injection was given by a nurse following the GB guidelines who did not swab the skin -in line with the guidance. The patient sadly died of sepsis and the coroner ruled that it was due to the B12 injection. Guidance has NOT changed, however, the coroner has appealed for a review to the UKHSA. Keep an eye on that one. The news has occasionally referred to B12 as 'a vaccine' too which it is NOT. It is of course, a vitamin. Once again, vaccines (and nurses) have been negatively (and unjustly) portrayed. I've written a blog about it. Find it here.

October 2024 news

Happy October!! How's the RSV programme going for you? Hope you have managed to get some headway with it now we have started the adult flu vaccines as of 3rd Oct.

Here's some October news I've spotted....

The second update in 2 months to the Varicella Green Book chapter was published on the last day of September. This change was following the withdrawal of VZIG, including use of iv Varitect CP for Group 1 neonates at highest risk of severe varicella. The RSV Green book Chapter was also updated 1st Oct to link to the immunisation programme letters.

Also just before September came to close I noticed this article: Study shows gradual waning of MMR vaccine effectiveness over time. The waning is small, but may have significance, especially in under-vaccinated populations.

Can you discern misinformation? Try this test of misinformation susceptibility.

  • On 3rd October the COVID-19 Autumn booster guidance was updated. And in alignment with this the COVID-19 vaccinator competency assessment tool and training recommendation documents were also updated. On the same day, I presented a short webinar about the Shingles programme which will be available to watch soon. I will post the link when available.

  • 4th October: Another very sad (and likely preventable) death: Canadian child dies from rabies after bat found in bedroom. Thanks Fray, for sharing this article. And here's another death 2 months after a bat contact in Minnesota at the end of September: Minnesota reports rare human death from rabies.

  • 4th October: The topic of pregnancy and vaccination is at the forefront of our minds at the minute, with flu season upon us, soaring pertussis rates and low vaccine uptake, plus the new RSV programme on the go. This article links to some CDC data that helps put things in perspective when it comes to the risk of vaccination Vs the risk of disease: Here’s Why Getting a COVID Shot During Pregnancy Is Important. Some useful statistics to note from the original CDC report are that COVID-19–associated hospitalisation rates among infants aged <6 months (too young to be vaccinated) remain higher than those among any other age group except adults aged ≥75 years. Their hospitalisation rates were comparable to hospitalisation rates in adults aged 65–74 years. Among approximately 1,000 hospitalised infants with COVID-19, 22% were admitted to an intensive care unit, and nine died while hospitalised. 87% of these were babies born to unvaccinated women.

  • 5th October: Fancy signing up for a norovirus vaccine trial? A much needed bit of medicine.

  • 6th October: Some important news highlighted by Danielle (thankyou): Rwanda starts vaccine trials against deadly Marburg virus. Timely news as the outbreak in Rwanda continues... This one kills roughly half the people it infects....

  • 8th October: Vaccine update has landed! Highlights: Last year’s data shows that those who received a COVID-19 vaccine were around 45% less likely to be admitted to hospital with COVID-19, compared to those who did not receive one. But protection wanes 3 to 6 months following vaccination. That is why for those who are most vulnerable, we must keep going with those booster doses for the most vulnerable groups. There is a new online platform for reporting notifiable diseases. Have you ever browsed the NOIDS reports? It's a bit of a rabbit hole... very interesting though. Measles arrrggghh - nearly 1 in 6 children have not received both doses of the MMR vaccine by the age of 5. Keep going with those catch ups everyone!! There is a new NHS toolkit to help us out, alongside the latest marketing campaign which has started this month. Following the first wave of the campaign, parents and carers reported that after seeing the campaign they took action to check their child was vaccinated and protected. These actions included: 41% checked if their child’s vaccines were up to date, 37% contacted their GP, 19% went online to find out more, 17% spoke to their friends or family and 13% booked their child in for their evaluations. There are links to get NHS stickers as well in this edition - stickers work!! Who doesn't love a sticker? ....

  • 9th October: Interested in a bit of a debrief on where we are at with Shingles vaccination? I delivered a webinar last week which was recorded and freely available to watch here. And another useful webinar is one provided by the ISTM called Rabies in Travelers: Deadly but Preventable and this is available for free on the ISTM YouTube channel.

  • 10th October: Have you heard the descriptors of 'airport malaria' or 'luggage malaria'? Well you have now... Surge in malaria cases linked to aircraft-transported mosquitoes. And with the concerning outbreak in Rwanda, more news about Marburg vaccines: How far are we from a licensed vaccine for deadly Marburg?

  • 14th October: I'm struggling to find the right connection here between my website content and the topic of this interesting article, but the title alone is just too intriguing not to share.... Death Cafes: Demystifying the Inevitable Over Tea and Cookies

  • 14th October: The PGD template (formally named the smallpox PGD) for mpox (formally named monkeypox) has been updated. If you work in a clinical area make sure you have also seen this guidance on preparation for any cases.

  • 15th October: LOOK WHAT IS FINALLY HERE!!! YAY!!! The Green Book chapter for Dengue. Got to admire those detailed flow charts to aid with decision making. Phew! I'm going to tuck into that properly tonight. I've updated the Dengue section in the vaccine portal with this lovely new information too.

  • 16th October: Brilliant article: Is it time to freak out about bird flu?

  • also 16th October: Valneva and LimmaTech awarded FDA fast track designation for tetravalent Shigella vaccine candidate S4V. I love how Valneva seem to get mainly involved with lesser known diseases or ones with unmet need. They seem very ethical to me. Hopefully their chikungunya vaccine will be with us soon too...

  • 22nd October: Interesting (yet worrying) trend noted: Cases of tuberculosis in Scotland rose 40% last year. Public Health Scotland (PHS) data shows there were 283 confirmed cases of the disease in 2023 – a 40.8% increase from the 201 recorded the previous year.

  • 23rd October: Egypt declared malaria-free by WHO! Yay! Some great news there. Just FYI, a country can apply to the WHO for elimination certification once certain criteria are met. Countries must prove that nationwide, local transmission of all types of human malaria parasites have been interrupted for at least the past three consecutive years. Countries are also required to show they have a fully functional surveillance and response system in place to prevent re-establishment of local transmission. GO EGYPT!! THEY DID IT!!!

  • 24th October: Moderna are funding trials for the norovirus vaccine. Very exciting that one of the trail sites is in my hometown of Manchester. I may sign up as a volunteer... It could be with us by 2026 if all goes well (and if the JCVI agrees). Game changer for our very young and elderly populations in particular. THIS IS NEEDED!!

  • 25th October: The latest weekly flu surveillance data published by UKHSA today shows flu case numbers are twice as high among school children, aged 5 to 14 years. As of 22nd October, influenza positivity - the rate of laboratory confirmed flu cases - among school children aged 5 to 14 years is higher than any other age group, at a weekly average positivity rate of 5.7% compared with a whole population weekly average of 2.5%.

  • 28th October: First-ever long-acting injectable for malaria prevention administered to study volunteer. First-in-human study explores a single injection that provides 3 months of protection. The more the merrier when it comes to malaria prevention options!

  • 29th October: With Halloween nearly upon us, it seems fitting to talk about a 'sylvania' (*groan*). A group of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania has developed an mRNA vaccine, delivered via lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) — the same type as the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines — targeting Clostridioides difficile (formerly Clostridium difficile). Have a read of this article; New mRNA Vaccine May Shield Against C difficile Infections. This research adds to the growing field of mRNA research coming out of this part of the world, which I keep noticing popping up. This university has designed mRNA vaccines to prevent Lyme disease, norovirus, and herpes simplex virus 2. They are also studying how mRNA can treat sickle cell disease, fatal food allergies, and cancer. The peadiatric contingent is developing novel ionizable lipids and biomaterials for vaccine and gene therapy applications in perinatal and pediatric medicine, expanding on the successes of the mRNA-LNP platform, studying mRNA vaccines and therapeutics that can be used to treat glycogen storage disease type 1a (GSD1a) and Isolated Methylmalonic Acidemia, as well as continued research into various difficult-to-treat forms of cancer and bacterial infections. Go Pennsylvania!

  • 29th October: Noninvasive malaria test could be global game changer. NO BLOOD OR INVASIVE PROCEDURES NEEDED! You just need a complicated-sounding laser and a hand - incredible stuff!! Can we work out how to do vaccines this way too PLEEEEASE?......

  • 29th October: First Children Vaccinated in New Clinical Study Seeking to Expand the Indication for Bavarian Nordic’s Mpox Vaccine

  • 29th October: Tuberculosis has pipped COVID-19 to the post now for being the top cause for infectious disease-related death in 2023. If you are involved in TB services (or even if you're not) it's worth a read of the latest WHO report. But if you just want the highlights, it's generally bad news. Last year 8.2 million people were newly diagnosed. This is the highest number reported since reporting began (1995). There were less deaths (1.09 million) - but more people (roughly 10.8 million) unwell with it. The targets for reducing it are all messed up too. We are in for a rough ride trying to meet those eradication goals :-(

  • 30th October: What an end to the month - oh no!! The UKHSA has detected a single confirmed human case of Clade Ib mpox in the UK. A recent visitor to a known infected area of Africa. This is not great news :-( Germany also reported their first case on the 22nd October.

I don't want to end October on a bad note though. These fact sheets were a nice little discovery this month from the GHTC. Have a nosey at all the research that is going on in a pleasingly easily-digestible format.

September 2024 news

Good luck all to with the RSV programme starting this month!!! In time for the launch the UKHSA has now updated all the useful cheat sheets: The routine imms schedule, visual guide to vaccines poster and the incomplete algorithm to account for RSV (on the 30th August). Spring cleaning time: Destroy any old printed versions!

Lovely CPD opportunities! Are you available to attend some free webinars on Dengue fever? Takeda are running a series of three in the next few weeks. (17th 24th Sept and 1st Oct). There is a webinar on 2nd October hosted by Valneva with one of my fave travel health specialists, Derek Evans on Japanese Encephalitis. Register here.

August 2024 news

I wonder what August will bring.....

2nd August: For starters an updated Cholera chapter in the Green Book. Finally Vaxchora has a mention! Check it out. Also in the world of tropical medicine, Oropouche virus has been making the rounds. Not sure what Oropouche is? Check out this information sheet on NaTHNaC. Don't forget to keep a close eye on outbreak notifications when you are consulting with travellers. This news item appeared 2/8/24. Oropouche is particularly risky for people who are pregnant. (This article was later published on the 9th aug, and this one on the 13th Aug, both very informative).

And later that day, while I had a glass of Rose in my hand (it was Friday afterall), this arrived: Government accepts advice on 2024 autumn COVID-19 vaccine programme. Don't worry, I had to read it a few times too.... and I don't think that was entirely down to the wine. Then the full COVID Autumn guidance came through here.

AND just after THAT the RSV Vaccine Update special arrived too! The PGD template is also here for RSV. Portal updated. And on top of THAT, the ELFHC influenza module was updated.

And good news on the very SAME day for the travel healthers! Pre-registration became open for the fabulous CISTM conference in New Orleans! Also a reminder that registration is also open for the awesome BGTHA conference on the 16th November (half day, virtual) - very reasonably priced and always a great conference to attend. The wonderful RCN and NaTHNaC joint annual event is scheduled for 22nd March 2025 (virtual) too. Consider signing up for these free arbovirus webinar events run by the RCPSG starting in September. This Arbovirus Webinar Series aims to provide travel health providers with an introduction to these arbovirus infections, the vectors, prevention and control strategies. The three one-hour webinars will run on 23 September, 30 October, and 26 November 2024. Registration is free.

Lots happened on the 2nd August!

And one more thing: the WHO has updated it's list of most dangerous viruses and bacteria... be brave, check it out! This article was published in reference to it on (you guessed it) 2nd August: What could spark the next pandemic?....

To finish the month off I noticed this article about Pertussis uptake was published in the BMJ on 29th August. Here's an extract that forms a good reflection opportunity: "Ongoing analysis of data from England shows that whooping cough vaccine, when given at the right time in pregnancy, provides 92% protection against infant death. Yet its uptake in England, from a high of 72.6% in March 2017, has now declined to 58.9%". We MUST get this higher!!!

Dengue Green Book chapter WHERE ARE YOUUUUUUUU?.....

I'd love to know how colleagues in Scotland are getting on this month having started the RSV programme earlier than England. Let me know how it's going!!!!

What's the best way to present this news page?? There's always so much happening and I feel it could be more aesthetically pleasing. Any ideas? contact me if so....

July 2024 news what a busy month!!

  • Did you watch the Malaria vaccine documentary on BBC2? Don't worry if you missed it - watch here. Incredible advancement! It's the talk of the town in the travel health community. Best thing that's happened in preventative tropical medicine for a LONG time!

  • Vaccine Update has landed! (it says June edition but was published 18th July so you didn't miss anything). Expect a special on RSV very soon!!!

  • We have reached 9 infant deaths from Pertussis now since Nov 2023. May saw 2591 cases according to the July data. A POIGNANT REMINDER OF WHY WE ARE DOING THIS JOB!

  • I've updated RSV in the vaccine portal with some more useful documents for the upcoming RSV prog (check out the video on preparing the vaccine). The vaccine info is coming thick and fast! The updated Green Book chapter landed 12th July. PGD should be coming next... keep an eye out. More useful RSV info is coming all the time so keep an eye on GOV.UK for everything you need. I can't quite keep up!! For quick reference go HERE for the pregnancy information and HERE for information on the adult vaccination programme.

  • I've also added some tools to the Travel Health section, and conference info about TB vaccines to the TB portal.

  • UK immunisation schedule poster updated to reflect pertussis change of vaccine and also Men ACWY vaccine change for adolescent program. The visual guide to vaccines poster has also been updated. Flu protocols and PGD's have landed. The Td/IPV PGD has been updated on the 10th July too. All associated portals have been updated in response.

  • Chikungunya vaccine achieves European approval. Read all about IXICHIQ here.

  • Lyme vaccines are passing milestone trials yay!

  • Valneva supply the vaccines PreHevbri, Dukoral, Ixiaro, and Rabipur. They have a good supply updates page here if you want to know what stock is knocking about. Currently, for example, it's showing that Ixiaro is in good supply (but has April 2025 expiry), PreHevbri and Dukoral are well-stocked. Rabipur stock may improve back to normal THIS MONTH - YAY!!! (Valneva, incidentally, have also got some FABULOUS travel health resources, training modules, and free things you can order such as leaflets and vaccine record cards - I personally love the 'rabies tear off pad' - so useful to give to travellers)

  • Bird flu - more cases... arggghhh

  • EEEK: fears of Polio outbreaks in Gaza....

  • OH NO - malaria treatment resistance is a BIG problem. See this BBC news article.

  • Mpox is being pretty sneaky (and a little sinister I may add) - I've noticed it popping up in articles a fair bit....this one in the BMJ talks about 20 new cases and 3 deaths from it in the last two months (since May) in South Africa. And this one highlights 130 cases of a particularly deadly strain (clade 1b) in children in DRC in just the last 4 weeks. DRC has reported over 29,000 cases and 1,100 fatalities from Mpox since Jan 2023. Most of them children. Keep an eye on this one. It has 'pandemic potential' and the clade 1b variant kills 10% of its victims...

  • Genetically modified mosquitoes. I love all this stuff about harnessing them to do GOOD.

  • 'Active' vaccine adjuvant boosts COVID-19 and flu antibodies in mice

  • This issue with the NMC culture makes me very sad. Have you got a happy culture at work? I really hope so..... How do YOU contribute to that? Good reflection opportunity.

  • Looks like the USA are also figuring out the implementation of an RSV vaccination programme too! Although they have decided on 60 as the age of vaccination for older adults. There's a bit of info in this Medscape article about GSK's Arexvy vaccine as well.

  • Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable infections in newborns in the UK, and a significant cause of newborn infections and stillbirths worldwide. As such, GBS is a leading driver of antibiotic use in neonatal settings, and antimicrobial resistance is increasing. VDEC has supported a GBS vaccine! This will be another game changer for infant death and illness statistics AND antibiotic resistance. Bring it on GBS vaccines!!!

  • Very sad preventable rabies death this year discussed in the Lancet - totally illustrates why rabies advice is super important!! Rabies in the Philippines: a call to action

  • Thank you to Fray for sending me this fascinating article about Shingrix being linked with Dementa prevention!! Awesome side effect!

  • Got your head around 24/25 flu season yet? The 25/26 info is already trickling through.... here's the JCVI statement for NEXT years vaccines!! Of particular interest is this bit: "The World Health Organization (WHO) has concluded that B/Yamagata lineages are no longer circulating and are unlikely to cause future epidemics, and that inclusion of a B/Yamagata antigen as a component of influenza vaccines is no longer warranted. WHO has stated that every effort should be made to exclude this as soon as possible, across all vaccine types. To this end, manufacturers have been preparing to move to trivalent formulations. In the USA, this will happen for the 2024 to 2025 season. In the UK the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) will move to a trivalent formulation in time for the 2024 to 2025 season."

  • On the final day of July, sad news as the first case of Mpox is found in Kenya.

  • And also the pneumococcal PGD template was updated to finish the month off. See the pneumococcal section in my portal for details.

Still tweaking away with this site and it's layout - I know a lot of it looks unfinished but I thought I should just be brave and get it out there... content over aesthetics ... I have had lots of useful constructive feedback so far. And I love some of the interesting news items people are sending to me. Keep it coming!! Help me to make this as useful as possible for YOU!!!

June 2024 news

JUNE 2024 Big moment for me as I make this website LIVE for the first time!! Tell me what you think!

May 2024 news

April 2024 news

March 2024 news

March seemed pretty quiet.... but come July ... BOOM!

February 2024 news

January 2024 news

2023 and earlier....