Federal Government Announces $500 Million Investment in Innovative COVID-19 Vaccines
The US government will invest $500 million in the development of nasal spray and pill COVID-19 vaccines. The funding, which is part of the Project NextGen initiative, will support research and development promising vaccine candidates from three organizations:
- A total of $453 million to San Francisco based Vaxart toward the development of an oral pill vaccine to prevent adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad-5). The company must achieve certain milestones to receive full funding.
- About $34 million to Castlevax of Mount Sinai Health System, to support its intranasal vaccine candidate called CVAX-01.
- Approximately $40 million to Cyanvac headquartered in Athens, Georgia for its intranasal vaccine candidate: CVXGA.
Full Story: CIDRAP
Stay Safe This Father’s Day with These Tips for Tick Prevention
If you plan to enjoy Father’s Day outside, there are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones from tick-borne infections. Lyme disease, the most common illness caused by tick bites, affects up to half a million Americans each year. Lyme disease prevention starts before you leave the house. Proven safety measures include:
- Wearing a hat
- Spraying your clothing with 0.5% permethrin, tick-killing insecticide
- Wearing long pants and a long-sleeved shirt when weather allows
- Avoiding tall grass and stay in the middle of trails
After returning home, you can:
- Take a shower or bath within two hours
- Do a full body check on yourself and your family or friends.
- Shake out your clothing outside
- Have a friend or family member check areas that are difficult for you to see, like your back and the back of your scalp
For more information, see: Philadelphia Department of Public Health
