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According to the latest epidemiological update from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), countries in the Americas must address vaccination gaps as there has been a resurgence of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, which has been steadily increasing since 2023.
As of December 9, 2025, the PAHO reports that there has been a significant rise in cases since then, with 11,202 cases reported in 2023 and escalating to 66,184 cases in 2024.
In the United States, so far in 2025, 25,057 confirmed and probable cases of pertussis have been reported, including 13 deaths.
The states with the highest numbers of confirmed and probable pertussis cases in 2025 are Washington (2,003), California (1,585), and Florida (1,422).
"Whooping cough is a vaccine-preventable disease, but its resurgence highlights gaps in immunization and epidemiological surveillance," said Dr. Daniel Salas, Executive Manager of PAHO's Special Program on Integrated Immunization, in a press release.
"It is urgent that countries ensure high and consistent vaccination coverage, especially among children under five, to protect the most vulnerable and prevent outbreaks," he added.
The PAHO recommends that countries ensure vaccination coverage is above 95% in children and provide booster doses for pregnant women and healthcare workers, prioritizing maternity staff and caregivers of infants.
"Timely and complete vaccination, together with robust surveillance, is the most effective strategy to prevent whooping cough, a disease that can cause severe illness, complications, or even death, especially in unvaccinated children under one year," emphasized Dr. Salas.
Before departing for at-risk areas in December 2025, the PAHO and the U.S. CDC suggest international travelers speak with a travel vaccine consultant about immunization options.
A new educational video takes viewers inside the Global Polio Laboratory Network, the "eyes and ears" of polio eradication. It demonstrates how laboratories around the world detect, confirm, and genetically track polioviruses.
When watching this video, you will learn how organizations like Rotary and the World Health Organization have successfully reduced polio cases in Africa by approximately 99%.
Discover how new laboratories, faster sequencing techniques, and enhanced surveillance are contributing to the effort to eradicate polio.
These insights are crucial for guiding responses to polio outbreaks.
As of December 10, 2025, the U.S. CDC's Travel Health Notice identifies 32 countries where polioviruses have recently been detected, including several in Africa.
The CDC suggests that before any international travel, you make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Adults who previously completed the full routine polio vaccine series may receive a single lifetime booster dose of IPV.
Globally, the nOPV2 polio vaccine has been administered over 2 billion times during the last few years.
In the United States, polio vaccination services are commercailly offered at travel clinics and pharmacies.
Israel's Ministry of Health recently reported another death of an unvaccinated toddler from measles.
As of December 9, 2025, this fatality marks the 12th since the outbreak began in Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, Harish, Modiin Illit, Nof HaGalil, Kiryat Gat, Ashdod, Safed, Netivot, Haifa, Tiberias, the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, and Tekoa.
Currently, 19 measles patients are hospitalized, most of them children under six who were not vaccinated. Four of them are in intensive care.
The Ministry stated in a media release that all the children who died were otherwise healthy and had no underlying medical conditions. These cases could have been prevented through vaccination.
'During the holiday season, anyone feeling unwell should avoid gatherings to prevent spreading this infectious disease,' added the Ministry.
According to Ministry of Health data, the first-dose measles coverage in targeted cities is about 85%.
According to the U.S. CDC's Level 1 Travel Health Notice, measles is an ongoing risk around the world, and more international travelers are getting infected.
Travelers can catch measles in many travel settings, including travel hubs such as airports and train stations, on public transportation such as airplanes and trains, at tourist attractions, and at significant, crowded events. Infected travelers can bring the disease back to their home communities, where it can spread rapidly among people who are not immune.
The CDC recommends that all travelers be fully vaccinated against measles before departing for any international destination. Measles vaccination services are offered at travel clinics and pharmacies in the United States.
The University of Oxford announced today that it has launched the world's first Phase II clinical trial of a Nipah virus vaccine candidate in Bangladesh in partnership with the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research.
This study is essential, as a vaccine is urgently needed, as the disease can be fatal in up to 75% of cases.
Funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, this study will assess the safety and immune response of the ChAdOx1 NipahB vaccine in a region where the virus causes recurrent outbreaks.
The ChAdOx NipahB vaccine was manufactured for this clinical trial by the Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., the world's largest vaccine manufacturer.
Professor Brian Angus, Professor of Medical Practice at the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford and Chief Investigator of the trial at the Oxford Vaccine Group, commented in a press release on December 9, 2025, "Starting a Phase II trial in a country affected by regular Nipah outbreaks is a critical step in making sure this vaccine is both effective and relevant to the people who need it most."
"It's an essential part of ensuring equitable access to protection against emerging infectious diseases."
Nipah virus is a deadly disease from the same viral family as measles, the paramyxoviruses.
The World Health Organization recognises it as a research priority due to its pandemic potential. Of the 750 cases recorded since 1998, there have been 415 deaths related to this virus.
First identified after an outbreak in Malaysia, the Nipah virus causes small outbreaks in Bangladesh almost every year. In India, seven outbreaks of the Nipah virus have occurred since 2001, primarily occurring in the southern and eastern regions, according to a study published by the journal Frontiers.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified an increase in the number of Shigella sonnei cases caused by a particular strain of the gastrointestinal pathogen.
Since October 2025, there has been a rise in Shigella infections in people returning to the UK from the Republic of Cape Verde. Of the 137 confirmed UK cases, most (109) reported recent travel to Cape Verde, an island country in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa.
As of December 5, 2025, the UKHSA had initiated an outbreak investigation.
An outbreak of Shigella sonnei was also reported in Cape Verde in 2022, with cases among travellers from several European countries, including the UK.
The UKHSA says Shigella sonnei (S. sonnei) is a species of Shigella, a group of gastrointestinal bacteria that can cause severe diarrhoea, fever, and stomach cramps; rarely, it can cause sepsis in the immunocompromised.
S. sonnei is transmitted via contact with contaminated faeces either directly through person-to-person transmission or indirectly from contaminated food or water, or surfaces – infection is often linked to overseas travel to regions where shigellosis is endemic.
In 2023, there were 117 cases in England belonging to the 10 single-nucleotide polymorphism linkage cluster t10.1814.
Globally, most cases of shigellosis are in children younger than five years of age, but all ages can be affected. There is also a risk of sexual transmission among certain people.
In the United States, as of Week 43, the CDC reported about 14,000 Shigellosis cases, a significant decrease from 2024.
As of December 9, 2025, the CDC states there is no vaccine to prevent Shigella infection.
Over the past week, reports of influenza cases have been confirmed across the United States, with a few states reporting outbreaks.
According to the Walgreens Respiratory Illness Index on December 9, 2025, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Georgia are the most recent, unfortunate leaders reporting flu outbreaks.
Previously, the latest FluView published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 2.9% of visits to healthcare providers in the prior week were for respiratory illnesses, up from 2.5%.
The best data from the CDC is that no influenza-associated pediatric deaths occurred during the 2025-2026 season. Last flu season, 287 pediatric deaths were reported.
With the peak influenza season fast approaching, the CDC encourages most people to get their annual vaccination as soon as possible.
The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) recently announced that seven of the new measles cases being investigated are centered in Spartanburg County.
As of December 5, 2025, there are currently 281 individuals in quarantine and two in isolation in the center of South Carolina. This county is located north of Columbia, SC, and west of Charlotte, NC.
DPH says that since the outbreak began in early October 2025, some cases are travel-related or due to close contact with known cases. Other cases have no identified source, suggesting that measles is circulating in the community and could spread further.
DPH will continue to prioritize requests for MMR vaccination events, if received, and will also take steps to increase appointment availability for MMR vaccination in health department locations, should demand dictate.
MMR vaccines are also available at many primary care provider offices and pharmacies, as well as DPH Health Departments.
Additionally, the U.S. CDC maintains a Global Travel Health Notice regarding measles outbreaks in numerious countries. The CDC recommends that before traveling abroad in December 2025, you ensure you and your family are fully immunized against the contagious virus.
