Zika Vaccine

About Zika Vaccine

Zika vaccine development accelerated during the 2015 to 2016 Zika epidemic in the Americas. Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly and other birth defects. The WHO declared Zika a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in February 2016. Multiple Zika vaccine candidates entered clinical trials rapidly, including DNA vaccines by the NIH and Inovio, mRNA vaccines by Moderna, and purified inactivated vaccines by Walter Reed Army Institute. When the epidemic waned in 2017, vaccine trials could not demonstrate efficacy due to low case counts. The Zika vaccine development effort demonstrated the ability to rapidly advance vaccine candidates but also the challenge of developing vaccines for sporadic epidemics. Zika remains a threat, and vaccine candidates remain ready for trials during the next outbreak.