HHS Advances Plan to Produce 4.8 Million H5N1 Vaccine Doses
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is making significant strides in pandemic preparedness by moving forward with a plan to manufacture 4.8 million doses of the H5N1 avian flu vaccine. Dawn O’Connell, JD, from the HHS’s Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) revealed that a manufacturing line has been identified at one of the agency’s partners for the fill-and-finish steps of the vaccine production, ensuring that the production of seasonal flu vaccines remains uninterrupted.
Currently, the H5N1 vaccine is in bulk form and will be processed into multidose vials. O’Connell highlighted that the process of filling and finishing the vaccine doses typically takes a couple of months, which would expedite the response time in the event of a vaccine requirement. Federal health officials have expressed confidence in the match between one of the H5N1 candidate vaccine viruses and the circulating strain.
In addition to the production plan, discussions are actively ongoing within federal agencies regarding the key triggers that would prompt the deployment of the H5N1 vaccine doses. O’Connell mentioned that talks are also in progress with mRNA vaccine manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna, with an imminent announcement expected on their potential involvement in the vaccine development process.
Dr. Nirav Shah, MD, JD, the principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), emphasized that potential triggers for vaccine deployment could include changes in transmission patterns, such as human-to-human spread in addition to animal-to-human transmission, as well as indications of increased illness severity. He also highlighted that shifts in the characteristics of cases, such as instances of H5N1 infections in individuals with no known links to affected farms, and genetic mutations are being closely monitored across federal agencies.
Surveillance Study Reveals Incidence of Multidrug-Resistant Infections in US Children
A recent surveillance study conducted by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infections Program (EIP) shed light on the prevalence of multidrug-resistant infections in US children. The study, published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, focused on carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase–producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) infections.
Analysis of data from 2016 to 2020 revealed that CRE infections were less common than ESBL-E infections in children across 10 states. While previous studies predominantly concentrated on the prevalence of multidrug-resistant pathogens in adults, data specific to children were lacking. Over the study period, 159 incident CRE cases were identified in 142 children, with a median age of 5 years.
