Coronavirus Breaking News

According to local media reports, India is establishing 13 new quarantine centers at major international airports to isolate travelers with infectious disease symptoms that could potentially trigger an outbreak.

On January 1, 2024, SeaandJob reported, "The program focuses on strengthening health system capacities at all levels—primary, secondary, and tertiary—and enhancing preparedness for effectively managing current and future pandemics or health emergencies."

In the United States, international airports have become essential screening centers for disease risks.

For example, in October 2024, the U.S. Government initiated health screening for air travelers arriving from the Republic of Rwanda during its recent Marbug disease outbreak.

In 2025, the U.S. CDC will continue publishing Travel Health Advisories Assessments, including guidance for cruise ships. This will enable international travelers to confirm travel vaccine recommendations by country.

Additionally. the Transportation Security Administration is prepared to screen holiday travelers during the end-of-year travel period. The TSA adjusts processes and procedures to meet the evolving threat and achieve the highest transportation security levels. Because of this, you may notice changes in our procedures occasionally.

The Costa Rican Ministry of Health published a notice in December 2024 regarding changes to yellow fever certificate requirements for travelers, effective January 11, 2025.

The countries that are now considered at risk and for which yellow fever vaccination against yellow fever is required are the following: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, and Trinidad and Tobago. Additionally, countries in Africa have been added to Costa Rica's list.

When visiting Costa Rica, a yellow fever vaccination (YF-VAX or Stamaril) certificate may be required at the airport. Foreigners who arrive in Costa Rica and do not present the International Certificate of Vaccination against Yellow Fever to the immigration authority will not be allowed to enter the territory.

As of December 31, 2024, the YF vaccine is not part of the mandatory vaccination schedule, so it must be purchased at private pharmacies.

In addition to YF, Costa Rica has reported Chikungunya (45), Dengue, and Zika (25) cases in 2024.

Most of this year's Dengue cases (30,000) have been detected near San Jose in the mountains, not at Costa Rica's beaches.

Previously, in early December 2024, the U.S. State Department issued a Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution, Travel Advisory, for the Republic of Costa Rica. This U.S. advisory says visitors to Costa Rica should exercise increased caution due to various civil unrest targeting tourists.

Last year, about 2.4 million people visited Costa Rica, many traveling from the United States.

A recent study published by the JAMA Network measured antibody response to Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccinations in immunocompromised individuals.

This Research Letter, published on December 30, 2024, disclosed a heterogeneous antibody response to RSV vaccines among immunocompromised persons.

In contrast to universal seroconversion and preF IgG fold rises greater than 10 in immunocompetent persons, approximately 40% of immunocompromised participants did not seroconvert or achieve a conservative neutralization threshold postvaccination.

Better neutralization was seen among RSVA-AS01E (AREXVY™) recipients, suggesting possible augmentation by the vaccine adjuvant.

These researchers wrote, 'Low antibody titers may indicate a role for additional vaccine doses to enhance immune response among immunocompromised persons.

As of December 31, 2024, various RSV vaccines are offered at local pharmacies, and monoclonal antibody passive immunization is approved.

While the Region of the Americas experienced the most significant Dengue virus outbreak in 2024, with over 12.8 million cases and 7,855 related fatalities, effective vaccines have become available in many countries.

However, safety concerns about dengue vaccines focus on the potential for enhanced disease after vaccine-induced seroconversion and subsequent infection.

On December 28, 2024, in a Brief Report, clinical researchers present a fatal case of severe dengue in an unvaccinated traveler without known prior dengue virus infection but longitudinal serologic and molecular evidence for secondary infection.

In the context of this Dengue case and vaccination guidance for travelers, they discuss pre-vaccination screening and potential implications for travelers to regions with ongoing outbreaks and emphasize the importance of serostatus-independent vaccines.

As of December 30, 2024, Dengvaxia® and Qdenga® vaccines are not offered in the U.S.

The Walgreens Flu Index recently identified the top 10 areas in the United States with influenza activity.

As of December 21, 2024, these unfortunate leaders are located in the southern section of the central U.S.:

1. Birmingham (Anniston and Tuscaloosa), Ala.,
2. Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas,
3. Harlingen-Weslaco-Brownsville-McAllen, Texas,
4. Monroe, La.-El Dorado, Ark.,
5. Huntsville-Decatur (Florence), Ala.,
6. Knoxville, Tenn.,
7. New Orleans, La.,
8. Jackson, Miss.,
9. Nashville, Tenn.
10. Shreveport, La.

Walgreens's Flu Index is compiled using retail prescription data for antiviral medications used to treat influenza across Walgreens locations nationwide. The Flu Index illustrates which populations are experiencing the highest incidence of flu.

Seperately, the U.S. CDC published Key Updates for Week 51, ending December 21, 2024. 

Nationally, the percentage of influenza positivity, the percentage of emergency department visits for flu, the rate of outpatient visits for respiratory illness, and influenza-associated hospitalizations increased this week compared to last week.

And 5 pediatric deaths associated with seasonal influenza virus infection were reported this week, bringing the 2024-2025 flu season total to nine pediatric deaths. Last flu season, 206 pediatric deaths were related to influenza.

This flu season, there is an ample supply of influenza vaccines at local pharmacies; over 92 million flu shots have been distributed in the U.S., targeting the 2024-2025 flu season.

The Victorian Department of Health recently announced that Australia's surveillance program detected vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2) in pre-treated sewage from the Western Treatment Plant in Melbourne.

Melbourne has over 5 million residents and is the host city of the Australian Open 2025, which hundreds of thousands of tennis fans attend.

The poliovirus detection (Advisory number: 241224) on December 2, 2024, is likely linked to an individual who received a live polio vaccine and shed the virus in Victoria. Victoria's Chief Health Officer, Dr. Clare Looker, wrote on December 23, 2024, that Australia remains polio-free, as this wastewater detection is not a wild-type poliovirus case.

However, the U.S. CDC says the detection of poliovirus in wastewater cannot be used to determine the total number of infected persons in a community or the portion of the infected population. The minimum number of infected individuals that can be reliably detected through wastewater testing is not known.

To alert the international community, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed in December 2024 that the spread of the poliovirus remained a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. In 2022, the United States was added to the WHO's list of polio-identified countries. 

Over the past few years, more than 1 billion 'triple-locked' nOPV2 vaccines have been administered to prevent virus mutations.

In the United States, the inactivated polio vaccine is offered.

"Most travelers to Australia don't need many travel vaccines, but with poliovirus detected in sewage in Melbourne, a once-in-a-lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine would be prudent before departure," commented Beverly Schaefer, travel vaccine expert at Katterman's Sand Point Pharmacy, Seattle, WA.

The U.S. CDC suggests that international travelers speak with a travel vaccine expert about Japanese encephalitis, which is mainly a concern in the Murray River and the Outer Torres Strait Islands area. All international travelers should also be vaccinated against measles with the MMR vaccine.

According to Regional Health Agencies (ARS), France has reported the highest number of indigenous (local) dengue cases in 2024 since the implementation of enhanced surveillance in 2006.

As of December 24, 2024, the ARS assessment for this 2024 season shows 11 outbreaks of local dengue transmission totaling 83 cases, mainly occurring in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (Marseille, 1.9 million pop.) and Occitanie.

As of December 17, 2024, 4,694 imported dengue cases had been reported this year, the highest annual number ever. Epidemiological investigations identified imported dengue cases from travelers returning to France from Guyana, Reunion, and Indonesia. 

ARS also reported one Indigenous case of chikungunya for the first time in Ile de France.

Entomological and epidemiological investigations were immediately implemented for each disease outbreak, accompanied by vector control actions.

From a disease prevention perspective, France offers various chikunguna and dengue vaccines.

For travelers departing from the U.S., Valneva SE's IXCHIQ® chikungunya vaccine is offered at numerous travel clinics and pharmacies.