Brighton Collaboration

Did you know that antibodies found in the blood of someone who has fought off a virus can provide key insight into how to protect others from the same virus? Pooling antibody data from patients who have recovered from a disease and have high levels of antibodies enables vaccinologists to understand what good protection looks like, what level of immunity a vaccine needs to induce for it to offer durable protection, and how a vaccine might perform in humans. This material leads to the creation of antibody standards, which help standardise and harmonise vaccine performance and facilitate regulatory approval. CEPI scientist Selorm Avumegah explains the crucial role of antibody standards in vaccine research and how CEPI's investment in such standards help the world to be better prepared to face future outbreaks. Learn more ?? https://lnkd.in/exuUVukq

*New clinical trial of vaccine candidate for Lassa fever begins* A National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored clinical trial of a candidate vaccine to prevent Lassa fever has begun enrolling participants at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore. Lassa virus (LASV), a member of the Arenavirus family, remains a critical public health challenge in West Africa, with the Nigeria CDC reporting a staggering?7767 suspected cases, 971 confirmed cases and 166 confirmed deaths?across?28 states?up to 11 August?2024. Alongside its devastating impact, LASV infection poses long-term health risks, such as?sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL)?in up to 30% of survivors. Lassa virus is spread by rodents, known as multimammate rats, that are native to many countries in West Africa. The virus can also be spread from person to person. Currently, there are no specific drug treatments or vaccines for Lassa fever. NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is sponsoring the Phase 1 trial. https://lnkd.in/dJg6Bhtr

The final version of the article "Feasibility of cohort event monitoring and assessment of reactogenicity and adverse events among a cohort of AstraZeneca and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine recipients in Nigeria, 2021," co-authored by BC Scientific Director Dr. Robert Chen, is now available online. Use the link below to access the article in it's entirety for free until May 1, 2025. https://lnkd.in/gnhib768

Welcome to the new SPEAC team members!

“Pandemic preparedness initiatives should be urgently resourced and implemented... Enhancing readiness now can save lives and reduce societal and economic disruption if H5N1 or another outbreak becomes a pandemic.” In a?letter to Science Magazine, CEPI’s Executive Director for Preparedness and Response, Dr Nicole Lurie, and six other experts say the rapid spread and mutation of a deadly bird flu virus in the United States warrants urgent global action on pandemic preparedness to close dangerous gaps in the world’s ability to develop and deliver new protective vaccines. The experts outlined three critical efforts that they said?should begin now in preparation for a potential wider human outbreak of H5N1. Find out what these are ?? https://lnkd.in/e62e7mfh

CEPI's February newsletter is now available ??? Dive in to learn more about how taking a viral family approach could help the world get ahead of a future pandemic, the latest vaccine manufacturing partnerships helping to ensure a fast and equitable response to outbreak threats, insights from CEPI's Global South Fellows and plenty more. Don't forget to subscribe if you haven't already!

Congratulations to our SPEAC?colleagues Drs. Flor Munoz and Andy Stergachis for their contributions to this project as part of the Scientific Committee.

The latest issue of the Safety by Numbers newsletter is out now! In this edition you'll find some of SPEAC (Safety Platform for Emergency Vaccines)'s recent work, including the validation of a proposed case definition for VITT, an LSR on the safety of Chikungunya vaccines, a new companion guide for SOVC, and much more. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/gtrKdGeR Not subscribed? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eTnT-piQ Global Vaccine Data Network – GVDN, The Task Force for Global Health, Inc.

The?Brighton Collaboration Clinical Advisory Group for Emerging Pathogens?is being created to establish evidence-based frameworks and data collection tools to facilitate vaccine safety assessment for emerging infectious diseases [including adverse events of special interest (AESI) X] during outbreaks. This group of volunteers will focus on developing critical guidance to support clinical interventions with vaccines, for effective vaccine safety data collection in active vaccine safety surveillance studies and routing pharmacovigilance activities to support global health responses. Special emphasis is placed on addressing challenges and opportunities specific to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Examples of responses this group may support include the ongoing mpox Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in Africa, as well as preparing for vaccine safety surveillance for other Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) priority pathogens. ? See below the full Brighton Collaboration Clinical Advisory Group for Emerging Pathogens call for members announcement. The deadline for application is January 2, 2025. To apply, please email:?[email protected]?attention Krutika Kuppalli with the subject “Application for Brighton Collaboration Clinical Advisory Group.”

We're hiring! We are seeking an Associate Deputy Director to join our Safety Platform for Emergency vACcines (SPEAC) project team at The Task Force for Global Health, Inc. https://lnkd.in/g5WkBy9T