Vaccine Science Diplomacy: Expanding Capacity to Prevent Emerging and Neglected Tropical Diseases Arising from Islamic State (IS)--Held Territories

Vaccine Science Diplomacy and "The Phenomenon of Man"

The central tenets of international scientific collaborations leading to the development, testing, and the equitable distribution vaccines to combat poliomyelitis, smallpox, COVID-19, and other devasting infections, first accelerated in the mid-twentieth century. The genesis of vaccine science diplomacy also coincides with the publication of Le Phénomène Humain (The Phenomenon of Man) shortly after the death of its author, the French Jesuit priest and scientist, Dr. Teilhard de Jardin. Several tenets of Teilhard's posthumous essay, including our collective consciousness, and the "conjugated faces" of science and religion, are relevant to a modern vaccine diplomacy framework, even if Teilhard may not have specifically addressed vaccines in his writings. This could also include the potential for arriving at an "omega point" through international scientific collaboration and joint vaccine development, while simultaneously avoiding the destructive forces of anti-vaccine or anti-science activism. Collaborations between the Vatican, Catholic research universities and institutions; and leaders of the Catholic-majority nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America in an integrated framework might accelerate these activities as they apply to both pandemic threats and neglected diseases of poverty.

Immunizations and vaccines: a decade of successes and reversals, and a call for ‘vaccine diplomacy’

Over the last decade we have seen extraordinary public health gains due to expansions in global vaccination programs led by United Nations (UN) agencies, including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and the WHO. These initiatives have reduced childhood deaths from measles, tetanus and other vaccine-preventable diseases by almost one half. There is additional excitement over the potential development and introduction of new vaccines to prevent highly lethal respiratory virus infections, as well as tuberculosis, malaria, HIV/AIDS and several neglected tropical diseases. However, these successes are under threat due to political instability, conflict and an accelerating antivaccine movement. New initiatives in vaccine diplomacy will be required to combat these challenges.

Toward Developing a Preventive MERS-CoV Vaccine-Report from a Workshop Organized by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health and the International Vaccine Institute, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 14-15, 2015

Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) remains a serious international public health threat. With the goal of accelerating the development of countermeasures against MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV), funding agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and researchers across the world assembled in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on November 14-15, 2015, to discuss vaccine development challenges. The meeting was spearheaded by the Saudi Ministry of Health and co-organized by the International Vaccine Institute, South Korea. Accelerating the development of a preventive vaccine requires a better understanding of MERS epidemiology, transmission, and pathogenesis in humans and animals. A combination of rodent and nonhuman primate models should be considered in evaluating and developing preventive and therapeutic vaccine candidates. Dromedary camels should be considered for the development of veterinary vaccines. Several vaccine technology platforms targeting the MERS-CoV spike protein were discussed. Mechanisms to maximize investment, provide robust data, and affect public health are urgently needed.

Human Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases: Heading Towards 2050

By 2050 our civilized planet may be comprised predominantly of networked megacities embedded in warm subtropical and tropical climates, and under stress from climate change and catastrophic weather events. Urban slum areas in these cities, including those found in wealthier middle- and high-income nations (blue marble health), will be especially vulnerable to disease. Moreover, regional conflicts fought over shifting and limited resources, including water, will collapse health systems infrastructures to further promote disease emergence and reemergence. Thus while by 2050 we might congratulate ourselves for successfully eliminating some key parasitic and neglected tropical diseases such as dracunculiasis, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, and human African trypanosomiasis, there could be a commensurate rise in other parasitic diseases based on the scenarios highlighted above. Of particular concern are urban and newly urbanized helminth infections, including schistosomiasis and some soil-transmitted helminth infections, as well zoonotic helminthiases, such as toxocariasis, food-borne trematodiases, and cysticercosis. Protozoan infections persisting in urban environments, including leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, malaria, and intestinal protozoan infections, will also remain, as will zoonotic diseases such as toxoplasmosis. Our best hope to counteract the parasitic diseases emerging in our steaming 21st century megacities is to develop new and innovative technologies through gene editing, systems biology, and immunology, and the new single-celled OMICs. However, success on this front will require our ability to contain the globalization of antiscience beliefs and sentiments.