FDA Licenses Merck’s Capvaxive Pneumococcal Vaccine

On June 17, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed Merck & Company, Inc.’s new pneumococcal conjugate vaccine Capvaxive (formerly V116) for adults 18 years of age and older. The vaccine is designed to protect against 21 types of the bacteria causing pneumococcal disease, which can lead to severe infection in the lungs […]
Finland Offers Bird Flu Vaccine to Farm Workers

Public health officials in Finland are preparing to offer H5N1 influenza (also known as avian influenza or bird flu) vaccines to people at who they believe are at risk of exposure to an avian influenza strain spreading among farmed and wild animals. Finland is the first country to administer avian influenza vaccines to certain populations […]
Study Finds Measles Vaccine Far More Likely to Fail in C-Section Babies

According to a new study published in Nature Microbiology, babies born via Caesarean section (C-section) are likely to fail to respond to one dose of the live attenuated MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. In fact, researchers found it is 2.6 times more likely that the vaccine is ineffective for babies who are born via C-section […]
Moderna Stops mRNA COVID Biologics Plant Construction in Kenya

Moderna, Inc. announced recently that it has suspended its efforts to build a $200–$500 million mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) biologics manufacturing facility in Kenya while it determines projected future demand for mRNA biologics in Africa. Company officials concluded that, since the end of the COVID pandemic, interest in COVID-19 biologics in Kenya and Africa has […]
WHO Prequalifies Takeda’s Qdenga Dengue Vaccine

On May 10, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) granted prequalification status to the Qdenga (TAK-003) dengue vaccine, developed by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan. The live attenuated virus vaccine is recommended to be given in two doses three months apart to children six to 16 years old living in areas where dengue […]
COVID Shot Reactions Force French Soccer Player to Retire

Francois-Xavier Fumu Tamuzo, former French U20 player, is suing Pfizer-Germany, Pfizer-France, BioNTech and the French Football Federation (FFF) for injuries he said he sustained from the Comirnaty mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) COVID-19 shot. The 29-year-old professional football player is poised to retire early, as soon as this summer, due to his vaccine injuries.1 While getting […]