Urgent call for better use of existing vaccines and development of new vaccines to tackle AMR
The World Health Organization today released the first report on a line of vaccines currently under development to prevent infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) pathogenic bacteria. WHO analysis points to the need to accelerate AMR-related vaccine trials in late-stage development and maximize use of existing vaccines. The silent antimicrobial resistance pandemic is a major growing public health concern. Resistant bacterial infections alone are associated with nearly 4.95 million deaths per year, with 1.27 million deaths directly attributable to AMR. But AMR is more than just a bacterial infection. AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medications. When a person is infected with these microbes, the infection is said to be resistant to antimicrobial drugs. These infections are often difficult to treat. Vaccines are a powerful tool for preventing infection in the first place, and therefore have the potential to...