The rVSVΔG-LASV-GPC vaccine caused no serious adverse events and produced a strong immune response in healthy adults in the US and Liberia.
The deaths are likely due to poor health-seeking behavior among patients who seek medical intervention too late.
Seventeen African countries have introduced the vaccine, with 6 to 8 more expected to roll out programs in 2025.
If confirmed, the case in Iowa would be the ninth imported case in the United States since 1959.
Imported cases are rare, and the United States has reported 8 in the past 55 years.
Climate change threatens to create more endemic regions in Africa.
The investigation revealed that 170 people—many of them in high-risk groups—may have been exposed to TB, a number expected to grow.
Having tools to identify outbreaks early is crucial for containing outbreaks for both dangerous pathogens.
Some arenaviruses cause hemorrhagic fevers, including Lassa virus--a priority pathogen for vaccine development.
The COVID-19 emergency committee will meet on May 4 to assess if the situation still warrants a public health emergency of international concern.
