Zika Vaccine Development

Kevin Baylen
Rachel Escobio
Tahrin Imam
What is Zika?
Transmission Symptoms Birth Defect
Where is Zika?
How Vaccines work
• Vaccines are essentially a preventative method for viruses and bacterial
infection
• It does not cure people who already have the virus
• The body is prepared to fight the disease, most often by injecting the body
with weakened versions of the bacteria or virus, initiating the body to create
an immune response and create antibodies that remember the virus or
bacteria.
• Therefore, the next time he/she is infected with the given virus or bacteria, the
body has an immune response that will be prepared to combat the disease.
• According to the TPP for ZIKA, preferred vaccines include:
o Inactivated virus like particles
o No adverse side-effects specific to pregnant women
o Single dose primary series
o Non-replicating platform
Human Trial of ZPIV Vaccine
• Creation of ZPIV
o Vaccine with inactivated flavivirus so that it is not strong enough to cause disease, but
still strong enough to trigger an immune response
o Vaccine already tested effective in mice and rhesus monkeys
 Testing of 75 humans using ZPIV began in November
• Phase 1 will test the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine
• ZPIV will test groups: receiving placebos, ZPIV in addition to other
flavivirus vaccines such as Yellow Fever, and also apply the vaccine in
varying dosages to different groups.
• This study will join another NIH vaccine trial
o Vaccine contains DNA that instructs volunteer cells to create ZIKA protein, causing an
immune response
 As a part of that study, the ZPIV vaccine will act as a booster, given to people who
have already received the NIH DNA vaccine.
USF Zika Synthetic DNA Vaccine
• A study shows how a synthetic DNA vaccine protects against infection, brain
damage, and death caused by the Zika virus.

• Kenneth Ugen, PhD, USF Professor

• Tested on mice

• 100% of animal models protected with this vaccine

• Neuroprotective

• Approved by FDA for clinical evaluation in Phase 1 clinical trials, being

conducted now in several US and Canadian cities.
How would vaccine access be managed to achieve
maximum impact?
It usually takes two or three doses of a vaccine to immunize an individual. The
Zika vaccine would be best distributed as follows:

• Infants from birth to 15 months.

Following the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services guidelines for other vaccines, the Zika
vaccine can be administered in the following doses:

o 1st dose: either at birth or in the 2nd month

o 2nd dose: 4 months
o 3rd dose: from 6-15 months
• Children, adolescents, and adults

o Would be vaccinated as recommended by physician.

o Pregnant women would be quickly vaccinated to protect the fetus.
 Challenges
Vaccine production, distribution, access and uptake can pose many challenges
including:

1. Manufacturing capacities and cost of goods

2. Complex and lengthy quality control

3. Distribution methods

4. Vaccine availability

5. Timing and capacity constraints

All of these factors vary from country to country.

Additional Risks and Perils
❏ Funding

❏ Cost of vaccine

❏ Resistance to the vaccine over time

❏ Long process to make sure it works in the long run

Conclusion
Ways to prevent infection

❖ Avoid traveling to countries that are currently experiencing an outbreak.

❖ Mosquito control:

➢ Eliminating standing water

➢ Minimize outdoor activity

➢ Wearing long clothing

➢ Use of insect repellants

References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3164579/

https://www.vaccines.gov/who_and_when/infants_to_teens/

http://www.who.int/immunization/research/development/WHO_Zika_vaccine_
TPP_draft_November_2016_public_comment.pdf?ua=1

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/testing-investigational-
inactivated-zika-vaccine-humans-begins