Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Experimental Zika Vaccine Clears Safety Hurdles To Move On To Efficacy Testing
Reuters: U.S. Zika Vaccine Begins Second Phase Of Testing
Researchers have begun the second phase of testing of a Zika vaccine developed by U.S. government scientists in a trial that could yield preliminary results as early as the end of 2017. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on Friday the $100 million trial has already been funded and will proceed, irrespective of the $7 billion in cuts to the National Institutes of Health budget proposed by the Trump Administration over the next 18 months. (Steenhuysen, 3/31)
The Washington Post: Zika Vaccine Test Moves To Next Stage With More Than 2,000 Volunteers In U.S., Abroad
The experimental vaccine, developed by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is one of the first to progress to expanded testing of at least a half-dozen candidates in the development pipeline in the United States. Initial results could be available by the end of this year. If this next phase shows good results, and another outbreak of Zika flares in South America or elsewhere, it’s possible that the Food and Drug Administration could make the vaccine available on an emergency basis, said NIAID Director Anthony Fauci in a conference call with reporters. (Sun, 3/31)
Stat: Scientists Begin Mid-Stage Trial Of Zika Vaccine For First Time
Fauci acknowledged public interest in Zika has waned. But he said it is critical to pursue the development of the vaccine. It is likely the Zika virus has become or will become entrenched in parts of the Americas, Fauci said, and thus will continue to pose a risk to pregnant women who may be exposed to it. (Branswell, 3/31)
Meanwhile —
The Hill: Health Officials Brace For Return Of Zika
Florida officials and federal public health experts are keeping a careful eye on the mosquito population in Miami ahead of what they fear will be a breakout year for Zika, a virus that has already infected more than 5,100 people in the United States. The Sunshine State is ground zero for transmissions of the mosquito-borne virus that happen on American soil. While the vast majority of people infected with Zika caught it while traveling abroad, all but six of the 222 confirmed cases acquired within the United States have been in Florida. The other six cases were acquired around Brownsville, Texas. (Wilson ,4/2)
