Coronavirus Breaking News

With over 1 million chikungunya cases reported over the last decade, the residents of the Federative Republic of Brazil have gained access to an effective vaccine that prevents this mosquito-transmitted disease.

Valneva SE today announced that the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency has granted marketing authorization to its single-dose vaccine IXCHIQ®.

This innovative and safe vaccine prevents disease caused by the chikungunya virus in individuals 18 and older.

Additionally, Valneva and Instituto Butantan confirmed they are working together to ensure fast access to chikungunya vaccines for the Brazilian market and other countries in the region as quickly as possible.

The Region of the Americas reported various outbreaks. Between 2013 and 2023, there were more than 3.7 million chikungunya cases in the Americas. Brazil has reported over 1 million cases in the past few years.

Juan Carlos Jaramillo, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Valneva, commented in a press release on April 14, 2025, "The ongoing outbreak in Brazil underscores the fact that containing chikungunya is an international public health priority."

Part of Valneva's endemic country strategy, this endeavor is supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, with co-funding from the European Union and Instituto Butantan to support broader access to a chikungunya vaccine in low- and middle-income countries.

Dr. Esper Kallás, Director of Instituto Butantan, added, "The approval of the chikungunya vaccine is a great victory for Brazil, where over 150,000 people suffer from the disease yearly. It is an honor for Butantan to be able to contribute to ensuring that this vaccine reaches the population that needs it the most."

IXCHIQ® is the world's first licensed chikungunya vaccine. It is approved to prevent disease caused by the chikungunya virus in people aged 12 years and older in the EU and 18 years and older in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Label extension applications to adolescents were submitted in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.

In the U.S., IXCHIQ is commercially offered at travel clinics and pharmacies.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is reported to have the highest malaria burden in the world, accounting for 39.3% of global malaria deaths in children under five years in 2023.

According to recent reporting by GAVI, while the country’s annual malaria death toll has declined over the past five years, the case count has risen, with 1.4 million more malaria infections reported in 2023 than in 2022.

Bordering both Benin and Niger in Nigeria’s northwest, the Kebbi state has the highest malaria prevalence in the country at 49% of young children and the highest mortality rate.

The state’s high malaria prevalence has been linked to several factors, including rice cultivation.

Since rice farming requires stagnant water, it is a perfect breeding ground for virus-carrying mosquitoes.

Ahmad Muhammad Sani, a public health expert in Kebbi State, told GAVI on April 7, 2025, that he believes the malaria vaccine will help significantly lower malaria morbidity and mortality, especially when combined with existing preventive measures like the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and indoor insecticide spraying.

Sani also encouraged parents to complete the four vaccine doses to protect children against malaria outbreaks.

“Some possible challenges relating to the vaccine effectiveness in this region include factors like high malaria transmission rates. Hence, full vaccination coverage is crucial. Parents should be aware that incomplete vaccine doses offer partial protection,” he said.

As of April 14, 2025, most malaria cases in the United States are travel-related. Two malaria vaccines are offered in Africa but are unavailable in the U.S.

When the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Level 2 Travel Health Advisory regarding an outbreak of chikungunya in France's Réunion in February 2025, most public health experts did not expect an overwhelming epidemic.

As of April 12, 2025, Réunion Island has become the leading chikungunya outbreak in the world.

Since the beginning of 2025, 27,521 confirmed cases of this mosquito-transmitted disease have been reported.

More concerning is data from ARS Réunion last week. 

From March 24 to 30, 2025, there were 6,289 confirmed cases and 54 hospitalizations in Le Tampon (800 cases), Saint-Paul (900 cases), Saint-Denis (750 cases), and Saint-Pierre (600 cases). 

ARS Réunion says people can protect yourself by preventing mosquito bites, or participating in a free vaccination program.

The first phase of the 40,000 vaccination campaign has been launched with the single-dose IXCHIQ® vaccine. It is available for people aged 65 and over with comorbidities and who have not previously contracted chikungunya.

Over the last few years, most chikungunya cases in the U.S. have been related to returning international travelers from tropical and subtropical regions. Diagnosing chikungunya is challenging, as people may also have been infected with dengue or Zika.

According to the U.S. CDC, vaccination against chikungunya is recommended for adults and some adolescents traveling to a destination with a current chikungunya outbreak, such as Réunion.

A World Health Organization committee recently agreed that the risk of international spread of poliovirus continues to constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

During the 41st meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations, the Committee members unanimously recommended extending the Temporary Recommendations three months into July 2025.

On April 9, 2025, the WHO Director-General accepted the Committee’s assessment.

The Committee also called on national governments to prioritize polio eradication in their domestic funding allocations to ensure sustained progress toward eradication and appreciates the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s recent confirmation of its $500 million commitment to global polio eradication. 

Over the last three years, the nOPV2 polio vaccine has been administered about 1.1 billion times worldwide in various countries.

As of April 11, 2025, the U.S. CDC maintains a Global Measles Outbreak Travel Health Advisory that identifies 39 countries at risk for the spread of poliovirus.

In 2022, the United States was added to the list of polio-identified countries.

To reduce this significant health risk, the CDC says children and adults should be current on their routine polio vaccines, and that certain adult travelers visiting outbreak areas may get an inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) booster dose.

In the United States, IPV vaccination services are offered at travel clinics and pharmacies in 2025.

The New York State Department of Health recently issued a travel advisory for all New Yorkers, urging them to ensure they are fully vaccinated against measles before international travel or travel to an area in the U.S. experiencing an outbreak.

New York's advisory, published on April 2, 2025, listed Canada among the countries with increased measles cases.

As of March 22, 2025, six jurisdictions (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario (548), Quebec, Saskatchewan) in Canada had reported 615 measles cases.

"Measles is more common in different places, and exposure during travel is something we need to consider. It's important that New Yorkers ensure they are up-to-date regarding being immunized against measles. In some cases, measles is as close as a car ride away," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said in a press release. 

"Measles can be a serious disease. It is not just a rash; it can cause pneumonia, hospitalization, and even death. Protect yourself and your family against measles and ensure you are up-to-date on immunization with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine."

Currently, MMR vaccines are offered at clinics and pharmacies in the United States.

As of April 11, 2025, the U.S. CDC maintains a global Travel Health Advisory that lists various countries impacted by the ongoing measles outbreak.

While most malaria cases are detected in Africa, on the other side of the world, malaria outbreaks continue to be detected in South Korea.

According to a post on X, the South Korean government has recently confirmed locally acquired malaria cases and is taking immediate action.

On April 9, 2025, the Ministry of National Defense wrote, 'Recent outbreak of malaria patients among soldiers discharged from military service in border areas such as Paju, Gyeonggi Province, and Cheorwon, Gangwon Province.'

The Ministry of National Defense and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency are working to achieve a 'Malaria-Free Republic of Korea' to eradicate malaria domestically by 2030.

The Joint establishment of the "Second Malaria Eradication Action Plan (2024-2028) includes:

• Free malaria diagnostic tests and treatment prescriptions for one year after discharge at 14 military hospitals nationwide.
• Free diagnostic testing is available two years after discharge at public health centers nationwide.

In 2024, the Agency issued malaria warnings for areas, including Seoul's Yangcheon and Gangseo districts. In 2023, over 719 cases of the mosquito-borne disease were confirmed.

According to the U.S. CDC, travelers going to areas of South Korea should take prescription medicine to prevent malaria. Depending on the medicine you take, you will need to start taking this medicine multiple days before your trip, as well as during and after your trip.

As of April 10, 2025, malaria vaccines are offered in Africa, but not South Korea or the United States.