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Vax-Before-Travel

Vax-Before-Travel (VBT) is a publisher of international vaccine information that empowers people to make informed immunization decisions before traveling abroad. Throughout 2025, VBT published fact-checked information on local disease risks and related travel vaccines.

"We believe international travelers want to learn about disease risks and vaccine options before their next vacation or business trip," writes Don Hackett, VBT publisher. 'This philosophy reduces disease risks by minimizing the under-use, over-use, and misuse of vaccines.'

When traveling internationally to countries like Costa Rica or within the United States, such as Florida, Vax-Before-Travel's continuously updated information empowers you to 'Know Before You Go.'

Vax-Before-Travel Mission

Vax-Before-Travel publishes vaccine information that empowers travelers to live life to the fullest.

Vax-Before-Travel Content

Vax-Before-Travel's news team stands by the information we publish; if it's incorrect, we will change it as quickly as possible. 

Recent studies have highlighted the value that VBT's news brings to people. Key findings from a study published in October 2025 found 45% of AI-produced answers had at least one significant issue from from ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and Perplexity against key criteria, including accuracy, sourcing, distinguishing opinion from fact, and providing context.

A June 2025 analysis published in the American Journal of Infection Control, based on Google News reports, found that less than 25% of all news stories cited clinical research.

Travel Vaccine Newsletters

Anyone can enroll in the free Vax-Before-Travel newsletter for the latest vaccination news. Recent studies have highlighted that when people are exposed to messages about vaccine options, about 49% report that the information is new, and 65% indicate that they are likely to discuss vaccines with their healthcare provider.

Contributing Expert Program

The VBT News Contributing Expert Program empowers vaccine providers to communicate with people digitally through news articles. This Trusted Travel Vaccination Network offers guidance and services to international travelers seeking unbiased information on preventing diseases while traveling.

Travel Vaccine Appointments

VBT enables travelers to request an appointment with a vaccine expert using this link.

Travel Vaccination Overview

The U.S. Travel Association research reveals that about 1.4 billion passengers are expected to fly in 2025. Recent research suggests that tens of millions of people are not adequately vaccinated before traveling to countries with endemic diseases. This includes last-minute travelers who deferred approximately 18% of their protective vaccines due to insufficient time before departure. 

According to Coherent Market Insights, The Global Vaccines Market is estimated to be valued at $81.91 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach $124 billion by 2032. The Medical Value Travel population, which travels to different regions or countries seeking healthcare services, was valued at $115 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach approximately $286 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 10.8%.

Travel Vaccination Timing

With over 15 million people traveling monthly, the U.S. CDC recommends that most travel vaccines be administered at least one month, if not earlier. The time between the vaccine's administration and the start of travel is significant for seniors. In Europe, over 4% of returning international travelers who recently displayed symptoms may be infected with a mosquito-transmitted disease, such as chikungunya, dengue, or Zika.

During pre-travel consultations, providers should consider potential interactions between vaccines and medications. A study by S. Steinlauf et al. identified potential drug interactions with travel-related medicines in 45% of travelers with chronic conditions; 3.5% of these interactions were potentially serious.

Policies

Various VBT policies are listed on this webpage.

Comments and Concerns

This link discusses VBT ownership and revenues. VBT is committed to providing greater transparency about how travel vaccine information is produced and distributed. We will respond to your request as soon as possible. Please email [email protected]. If you have any clinical questions, please get in touch with VBT's medical director, Dr. Robert Carlson, at [email protected].

Thank you,

Don Hackett, Founder & Publisher, VBT LLC

[email protected] 

4 min read
Last Reviewed: 
Wednesday, December 17, 2025 - 13:55
Description: 
Vax-Before-Travel
0 min read

The American Medical Association (AMA), in partnership with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), today announced it has developed a new toolkit to help clinicians offer better care for patients with prolonged, non-specific symptoms and concerns about Lyme disease. 

The CDC has scheduled a COCA Call for September 19, 2024, when presenters will share a brief overview of Lyme disease, provide a diagnostic and management framework for patients with prolonged symptoms and concerns about Lyme disease, and review new clinical tools and resources to help support these patients. 

If you cannot attend the live COCA Call, the recording will be available on the webpage. The slide set will be available on the day of the call under Call Materials on the COCA Call webpage.

According to recent data, Lyme disease has continued spreading in the United States from the northeast into the upper midwest. And in various Euopean countries.

About 329,000 persons annually are diagnosed with Lyme disease in the U.S.

While most patients recover fully after treatment, but about 5 to 10% can have prolonged symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and difficulty thinking.

As of September 9, 2024, there are no Lyme disease approved vaccines.

However, Valneva SE's VLA15 vaccine candidate has advanced the furthest along the clinical development timeline, with two Phase 3 trials in progress.

Vaccine Treats: 
Lyme Disease
Image: 
Image Caption: 
US CDC Lyme disease state based map 2022
Live Blog Update Author: 
Karen McClorey Hackett
Location Tags: 
Atlanta
Vaccine: 
Lyme Disease Vaccine (VLA15)
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0 min read

Evaxion Biotech A/S today announced new pre-clinical data demonstrating the ability of its novel EVX-B2 mRNA gonorrhea vaccine candidate to eliminate gonorrhea bacteria by triggering a targeted immune response.

This new data provides strong Proof-of-Concept (PoC) for the mRNA-based version of EVX-B2 in a pre-clinical setting.

EVX-B2 was initially designed as a protein-based prophylactic vaccine candidate for which pre-clinical PoC has already been obtained. The novel pre-clinical data for the mRNA-version of the vaccine substantiates that AI-Immunology™ identified vaccine antigens are delivery modality agnostic and can be applied across different vaccine modalities. 

“In the case of gonorrhea, no vaccine exists today, so we have an opportunity to develop a potentially groundbreaking treatment. Further, the data confirms that our platform is delivery modality agnostic, which is a very strong value proposition towards existing and new partners,” said Christian Kanstrup, CEO of Evaxion, in a press release on September 9, 2024.

While there are no approved gonorrhea vaccines, off-table use of existing vaccines has been found to offer some protection.

A systematic review published in July 2024 evaluated the evidence of vaccine effectiveness (VE) of meningococcal B (MenB) outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccines against gonorrhea and a non-OMV-based vaccine (MenB-FHbp). This study concluded that 4CMenB and MenB-OMV vaccines show moderate VE against gonorrhea infection.

Vaccine Treats: 
Gonorrhea
Image: 
Image Caption: 
by Betty Verheij
Live Blog Update Author: 
Karen McClorey Hackett
Location Tags: 
Copenhagen
Vaccine: 
Bexsero Meningitis B Vaccine
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0 min read

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recently announced the arrival of the first shipment of 99,100 doses of the JYNNEOS® (MVA-BN®) mpox - smallpox vaccine.

On September 5, 2024, the Bavarian Nordic A/S produced vaccines were officially received by the Minister of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Samuel Roger Kamba, alongside others.

Additional shipments to the DRC are planned for a total of more than 250,000 vaccines.

Since the start of 2024, DRC has reported over 4,901 confirmed mpox clade 1 cases, with more than 629 associated deaths, representing a sharp escalation in both infections and fatalities compared to previous years.

According to the Africa CDC, introducing the two-dose JYNNEOS vaccine is a decisive action to mitigate further spread and protect the most at-risk populations.

The U.S. government has confirmed that two doses provide robust protection against disease, and booster doses (3rd) are not endorsed. As of September 2024, JYNNEOS is commercially available in the U.S.; however, routine immunization against mpox is not recommended for the general public.

Vaccine Treats: 
mpox
Image: 
Image Caption: 
from Pixabay
Live Blog Update Author: 
Don Hackett
Vaccine: 
JYNNEOS Smallpox Mpox Vaccine
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0 min read

When visiting the Republic of Costa Rica in 2024, international guests may be exposed to mosquito-transmitted diseases such as chikungunya, dengue, or zika.

This health concern has not fazed international travelers, as about 2.4 million people arrived in 2023, a 16% increase over 2022.

On September 6, 2024, the Costa Rica Ministry of Health published Epidemiological Bulletin No. 34, highlighting various health risks, such as the following:

There have been 28 chikungunya infections reported this year. In 2023, there were 82 chikungunya cases confirmed. From a prevention perspective, Valneva SE's IXCHIQ® vaccine is now approved in various countries, including the U.S.

Costa Rica has been included in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) latest Travel Health Advisory, which confirmed that dengue fever is classified as high risk and is a year-round health risk. Over 19,900 dengue cases were confirmed in Costa Rica in 2024, and 24,914 were reported in 2023.

Takeda's QDENGA® dengue vaccine is available in various countries in 2024.

This Central American country has also reported 23 Zika cases in 2024, with 40 cases confirmed in 2023. No Zika vaccines are available anywhere in 2024.

Furthermore, as the 2024-2025 respiratory season approaches, Costa Rica is launching a vaccination campaign against influenza and rhinovirus. The Tico Times reported the country plans to administer 1.5 million vaccines.

To alert travelers of these health risks, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. CDC have issued travel advisories and vaccine recommendations for Costa Rica.

The CDC recommends checking its recommended travel vaccine list and seeing a healthcare provider at least a month before visiting Costa Rica.

Vaccine Treats: 
Chikungunya
Image: 
Image Caption: 
Costa Rica Dept of Health Sept. 2024
Live Blog Update Author: 
Karen McClorey Hackett
Location Tags: 
Costa Rica
Vaccine: 
IXCHIQ Chikungunya Vaccine Live
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dengue

Second-Generation Dengue Vaccine Delivers Protection in Two Weeks

Qdenga TAK-003 dengue vaccine efficacy exceeds 82 percent
September 8, 2024
ECDC polio

139th Confirmation of Polio Remains a Global Risk

Polio vaccine boosters recommended when visiting poliovirus detected countries
September 7, 2024
0 min read

The Brant County Health Unit (BCHU) has received confirmation of a human case of rabies in a resident of Brantford-Brant, Ontario, Canada.

As of September 6, 2024, the individual was hospitalized. As a precaution, family members and other close contacts are being assessed and offered post-exposure prophylaxis, as needed. 

While the suspected exposure of the case was from a bat in the Gowganda area of the Timiskaming region, bats in all areas of Ontario are known to carry rabies. Bats, skunks, foxes, and raccoons are the most common to spread the rabies virus in Canada.

Ontario’s last domestic case of human rabies occurred in 1967, and there have been 26 human cases in Canada since 1924.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that dogs spread most rabies cases globally. To date, there has never been a documented case of human-to-human transmission of rabies virus.

Once the virus infects the central nervous system and clinical symptoms appear, rabies is fatal in 100% of cases. There are an estimated 59,000 deaths from rabies annually. However, due to underreporting, documented case numbers often differ from the estimate, says the WHO.

Even though rabies is well-controlled in the United States, over 4 million Americans report animal bites each year, with 800,000 seeking medical attention.

In 2022, 54 U.S. jurisdictions reported 3,579 animal rabies cases. However, only ten people die from rabies infection annually in the U.S.

Rabies is a viral infection that causes brain and spinal cord inflammation. It is typically spread to humans through direct contact with saliva or mucous of an infected animal, such as through a bite or scratch. Even tiny bites or scratches, which can be challenging to see, can transmit the virus. 

Effective rabies vaccines are available to immunize people before and after potential exposures.

As of 2024, three WHO pre-qualified human rabies vaccines, RABIVAX-S, VaxiRab N, and VERORAB, are available globally. In the United States, rabies vaccines are generally offered at travel clinics and pharmacies. 

Note: This news article was updated on Sept. 28, 2024.

Vaccine Treats: 
Rabies
Image: 
Image Caption: 
WHO Rabies case map 2022
Live Blog Update Author: 
Don Hackett
Location Tags: 
Ontario
Vaccine: 
ChioRab Rabies Vaccine
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measles

Twin Cities Measles Outbreaks Can Be Eliminate With Vaccines

Measles travel advisory updated for 56 countries
September 7, 2024
0 min read

According to this week's Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) report, various countries confirmed poliovirus detections and vaccination efforts.

As of early September 2024, a two-round polio vaccination campaign was launched in the Palestinian territory, providing more than 640,000 children with two drops of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) vaccine.

Additionally, new polioviruses cases and positive environmental isolates were detected in the following countries as of September 4, 2024:

Afghanistan: 1 WPV1 case

Pakistan:  8 WPV1-positive environmental samples

Côte d’Ivoire: 1 cVDPV2-positive environmental sample

DR Congo: two cVDPV2 cases

Egypt:  1 cVDPV2-positive environmental sample

Indonesia:  3 cVDPV2 cases

Niger:  2 cVDPV2 cases and 3 cVDPV2-positive environmental samples

Nigeria:  7 cVDPV2 cases and 1 cVDPV2-positive environmental sample

South Sudan:  2 cVDPV2-positive environmental samples

Sudan:  1 cVDPV2-positive environmental sample

To alert international travelers of their potential polio risk, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reissued a Global Polio Alert - Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions Travel Health Notice on August 20, 2024, regarding polio outbreaks and poliovirus detections in 37 countries.

The CDC says that before traveling to any destination listed, adults who have previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series may receive a single, lifetime booster dose of the polio vaccine.

Polio vaccination services are generally available to local clinics and community pharmacies in the U.S.

Vaccine Treats: 
Polio
Image: 
Image Caption: 
GPEI Sept 2024
Live Blog Update Author: 
Karen McClorey Hackett
Location Tags: 
Geneva
Vaccine: 
nOPV2 Polio Vaccine
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