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In Réunion Island, a French department located in the Indian Ocean, an unexpected chikungunya outbreak has overwhelmed the local population.
Since August 2024, about 20,242 chikungunya cases and two related fatalities have been confirmed across the island.
As of April 2, 2025, 14 newborns have been hospitalized following infection with the chikungunya virus. The disease can have serious, even fatal, consequences for newborns and infants.
Due to the acceleration in the number of cases and the spread of outbreaks to almost the entire territory in 2025, the first phase of the free chikungunya vaccination campaign is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 7, 2025. It will be carried out based on a medical prescription by a healthcare provider.
Accoring to ARS Réunion's media statement today, per the recommendations of the High Authority for Health and by decision of the health authorities, this first phase of the IXCHIQ® vaccination campaign primarily targets people aged 65 and over with comorbidities or chronic illnesses and who have not already contracted chikungunya.
The first 40,000 doses of Valneva's single-dose IXCHIQ® vaccine will not be available for pregnant women. Furthermore, this live attenuated vaccine is contraindicated in immunocompromised individuals.
Since 2023, IXCHIQ® has been approved by the U.S. FDA to treat chikungunya virus infections in adults at increased risk of exposure to the mosquito-transmitted disease. This indication now includes adolescents.
In March 2025, the U.S. CDC issued a Level 2 - Practice Enhanced Precautions Travel Health Advisory regarding Réunion's situation. The CDC wrote, ' Vaccination against chikungunya is recommended for people traveling to a destination with a current chikungunya outbreak.'
As of April 4, 2025, IXCHIQ is commercially offered at travel clinics and pharmacies in various countries, including the United States.
The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Health recently announced it is investigating a cluster of Malaria cases in South Trinidad, indicating a potential upsurge in 2025.
As of April 2, 2025, five malaria cases have been confirmed this year.
These five cases are in a well-defined geographic area, and the following field work has been conducted by the Insect Vector Control Division, after the identification of the first case on March 27, 2025:
The Ministry says Trinidad and Tobago, located east of Venezuela, is not endemic for malaria, and as such, most confirmed cases are imported and/or introduced.
Last year, over 200,000 people visited Trinidad and Tobago from a country in North America.
Over the period 2015 to 2024, there were 153 confirmed cases, which is an average of 15 cases per year.
Countries in the Region of the Americas, such as Trinidad and Tobago, reported over 500,000 malaria cases in 2023, a 5% increase from 2022.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says millions of residents travel to countries where virus-carrying mosquitoes transmit malaria.
As of week #11 ending March 15, 2025, the CDC confirmed 209 malaria cases in the U.S. this year, with Florida reporting eight travel-related malaria cases.
During 2024, the CDC confirmed 436 measles cases in the U.S.
While two malaria vaccines are available in 2025, neither is offered in the U.S.
With warm Caribbean waters and beautiful beaches, The Bahamas is a tourist favorite in 2025. Last year, over 11 million people visited the various islands in The Bahamas.
To ensure visitors departing from the United States are appropriately forewarned about risks 60 miles east of Florida, the State Department recently updated its Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution.
As of March 31, 2025, this Advisory stated that crime can occur anywhere in The Bahamas, with frequent reports in Nassau and Freeport on New Providence and Grand Bahama islands. Additionally, visitors should stay alert in the "Over the Hill" area in Nassau, south of Shirley Street.
And stay alert in vacation rental properties, especially where private security is not present.
Furthermore, boating is not well-regulated, as sexual assaults, injuries, and deaths have occurred. Moreover, never swim alone and beware of jet skis or other watercraft operating close to shore.
Due to these risks, U.S. government employees are prohibited from using jet skis and personal watercraft rented from independent operators on New Providence and the Paradise Islands.
And be aware of your surroundings and stay alert in public restrooms, as sexual assaults have occurred on and near downtown Nassau beaches.
For local assistance, the U.S. Embassy Nassau is located at 42 Queen Street, Nassau, The Bahamas. You can enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive digital messages from the Embassy and make locating you in an emergency easier.
From a health risk perspective, the U.S. CDC recommends various routine and travel vaccinations before visiting the Bahamas in 2025. Unlike its Caribbean neighbors, no mosquito-transmitted, vaccine-preventable Chikungunya or Dengue cases were reported in 2025 or 2024.
Travel vaccines are offered at various clinics and pharmacies in the U.S.
In the Philippines, the Bacolod City Health Office (CHO) recently issued an advisory regarding increasing cases of rotavirus and typhoid.
Typhoid is caused by the bacteria salmonella typhi, which spreads through contaminated food and water or close contact with an infected person.
Data showed that from January to March 22, some 27 cases of typhoid, also known as enteric fever, were reported, compared to only 11 cases during the same period in 2024.
Meanwhile, the CHO reported 74 cases of rotavirus, the most common cause of severe diarrhea among children, during the same period in 2025.
The top risk factor for rotavirus is poor sanitation and hygiene, leading to contamination of food and water.
In its advisory, the CHO said prevention includes washing hands with soap and clean water after using the toilet and before eating, as well as drinking only clear water. If unsure, boil water for three minutes or chlorinate water.
“Go to the nearest barangay health station or center, or consult with your physician if experiencing signs and symptoms of typhoid fever,” Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO Environment Sanitation Division, said in a press release on April 2, 2025.
Bacolod City, located on the northwest coast of Negros Island in the Philippines, has become a tourist favorite and was visited by over 800,000 people last year.
The U.S. CDC's Travel Health Advisory for the Philippines recommends vaccination for most travelers, especially those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas.
When departing from the United States in 2025, most travel clinics and pharmacies offer vaccines that prevent both typhoid and rotavirus.
Additionally, the CDC highlights vaccines for chikungunya, dengue, and measles when visiting the Philippines.
The Republic of Uganda's Ministry of Health today confirmed it is the 19th country in Africa to introduce an approved malaria vaccine into routine immunisation.
The R21/Matrix-M™ vaccine includes Novavax AB's proprietary saponin-based Matrix-M adjuvant, will initially target 1.1 million children under two years in 105 high- and moderate-transmission districts across Uganda, with plans to expand nationwide.
About 2.278 million doses of malaria vaccines were distributed.
As of April 2, 2025, a malaria vaccination campaign was launched in Apac District, northern Uganda, with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and Alliance partners UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), PATH, and CHAI.
The Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, commented in a GAVI press release, “The vaccine's introduction marks a significant milestone in our fight against malaria. It is expected to prevent at least 800 cases of severe malaria among children daily and ease the financial burden on families, saving them approximately UGX 15,000 per case that would have been spent on treating severe malaria."
According to the WHO, despite the expenditure of $4 billion per year, malaria deaths and cases have not substantially changed over the last decade. An estimated 263 million malaria cases and 597,000 related fatalities occurred worldwide in 2023.
Recently, Uganda's tourism sector has experienced a significant increase, with thousands of international visitors arriving monthly.
As of April 2025, malaria vaccines are not offered in the United States.
At the end of March 2025, the Republic of Panama's Ministry of Health announced it is strengthening preventive measures in the community of Las Guias in the district of Calobre, due to an increase in malaria cases.
As of March 31, 2025, 66 malaria cases were reported in the province, 6 of which were in Las Guías and La Raya de Calobre.
These malaria infections were confirmed in an area where a sugar harvest occurs in the Ngäbe-Buglé region.
Over 100 years ago, building the Panama Canal generated malaria infections that cost many lives.
In a press release, Alex Sánchez, regional head of Public Health, emphasized that the Vector Control and Epidemiology departments continue to conduct research, case detection, teaching, and preventive operations, providing timely treatment and care.
Furthermore, it is essential to eliminate mosquito breeding sites to prevent all mosquito-transmitted diseases, including Dengue.
During the first three months of 2025, Panama has reported over 4,800 Dengue cases and four related fatalities.
Last year, the Pan American Health Organization reported Panama confirmed 37,231 Dengue cases and 52 fatalities.
There is also an outbreak of Oropouche in Espírito Santo, Brazil, and Darién Province.
Like Dengue and Malaria, Oropouche is spread primarily through the bites of infected midges and mosquitoes.
While the U.S. CDC has issued Travel Health Advisories for Panama, as of April 2, 2025, it has not authorized the use of preventive vaccines against Dengue and Malaria.
A second-generation Dengue vaccine, QDENGA®, is offered in various countries in the Americas.
Moreover, malaria vaccines have also been approved for use in Africa.
According to cruise ship news in early 2025, passing through the Panama Canal does not pose a significant health risk for passengers!
As the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season diminishes in 2025, most European adults are gaining access to an innovative vaccine.
Pfizer Inc. today announced that the European Commission (EC) has issued a decision amending the marketing authorization for ABRYSVO®, the company’s bivalent RSV prefusion F vaccine, to extend the indication to include prevention of lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) caused by RSV in individuals 18 through 59 years of age.
This action by the EC expands the previous authorization for individuals aged 60 and older, and ABRYSVO now offers the broadest RSV vaccine indication in the EU.
“We are thrilled that ABRYSVO is now approved in the EU to help prevent RSV in adults aged 18 and older, which causes approximately 158,000 adult hospital admissions annually from RSV disease, a common respiratory virus with symptoms that can be severe or even life-threatening,” said Alexandre de Germay, Chief International Commercial Officer, Executive Vice President, Pfizer, in a press release on April 1, 2025.
In Europe, RSV is a common respiratory virus that causes mild, cold-like symptoms. However, in infants under six months of age, people over 65, and people with a compromised immune system, RSV can cause severe illness and death.
According to the ECDC on April 2, 2025, RSV activity peaked in the EU/EEA in week 52, 2024, and has since decreased, but has remained elevated, with considerable variation between countries.
Before visiting Europe, travel clinics and pharmacies in the United States offer RSV vaccination services.
