Travel Vaccine Breaking News

Since rabies is a viral disease that is almost always fatal following the onset of clinical signs, immediate action is the best solution. 2025 marks the 19th World Rabies Day with the theme "Act Now: You, Me, Communities."

For the first time in its 19-year history, the theme does not include the word "rabies," highlighting the well-established nature of this movement, wrote the World Health Organization (WHO) on September 28, 2025.

"Whether you are an individual, part of an organization, or a decision-maker, the time to act is now."

The WHO Global Health Observatory has been updated to include newly available rabies data, supporting data-driven policy and programming. This platform offers a clearer picture of global progress and remaining gaps in data and surveillance.

Globally, most rabies cases are attributed to dog bites, according to the WHO.

However, in the United States, most rabies infections in people are a byproduct of infected bat bites.

The U.S. CDC states that rabies post-exposure prophylaxis includes wound care, human rabies immune globulin, and a four-dose vaccine series.

As a preventive measure, Bavarian Nordic's RabAvert® rabies vaccine is often recommended by travel clinics and pharmacies in the U.S.

Global health leaders recently discussed the final steps needed to eradicate polio during an event titled "United to Finish the Job: High-Level Side Event on Polio Eradication," which was co-hosted by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).

Leadership from the GPEI emphasized the need for sustained funding to complete the eradication effort, highlighting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's pledge of $500 million to the GPEI. This funding, along with that from other critical donors, is enabling the partnership to reach hundreds of millions of children each year with lifesaving polio vaccines and ultimately end the transmission of the virus.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, commented in a press release on September 22, 2025, "Polio eradication is a shared responsibility."

"We can finish the job only through sustained collaboration and commitment from donors such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has been an essential supporter through its critical political, social, technical, and financial contributions."

The focus was on the urgent need to end wild polio transmission in Afghanistan and Pakistan, while also addressing outbreaks of variant poliovirus in fragile settings across Africa and Asia.

These countries and others were highlighted in the U.S. CDC's Global Polio Travel Health Notice, Level 2 - Practice Enhanced Precautions. The CDC identified 39 countries where poliovirus remains a health risk.

The CDC list includes the United Kingdom, which has previously reported detections of poliovirus in wastewater samples in London.

The CDC recommends that before any international travel, you ensure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Adults who have previously completed the entire routine polio vaccine series may receive a single lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today issued a Level 2 Travel Health Advisory regarding the ongoing outbreak of Chikungunya Fever in Cuba.

Local media reported on September 26, 2025, that Andrés Lamas Acevedo, provincial director of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Microbiology, stated the most affected territories are Matanzas, Cárdenas, Colón, Jovellanos, Jagüey Grande, and Pedro Betancourt.

Previously, in late August, the U.S. Embassy in Havana reported an increase in the number of arbovirus cases, including Chikungunya.

Chikungunya is caused by a virus that is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes. The CDC recommends vaccination for travelers before visiting an area with a Chikungunya outbreak.

For example, visitors from Cuba have been diagnosed in Florida with Chikungunya this year.

Additionally, the CDC advises that if you are pregnant, you should reconsider travel to the affected areas, particularly if you are close to delivering your baby. Mothers infected around the time of delivery can pass the virus to their baby before or during delivery.

Newborns infected in this way or by a mosquito bite are at risk for severe illness, including poor long-term outcomes.

In the United States, approved Chikungunya vaccines are commercailly available at travel clinics and pharmacies.

The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) recently declared the state's measles outbreak, which started in February 2025, to be over, as the last case was reported in Santa Fe County in mid-August.

According to the U.S. CDC, measles outbreaks are considered 'over' when 42 days pass without new cases, a timeframe that represents twice the virus's maximum incubation period.

One hundred cases of measles were identified during this outbreak, which was New Mexico's largest in decades. The outbreak began in Lea County, likely from exposures to an outbreak in neighboring Texas.

"We are thankful to the thousands of New Mexicans who received their measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine," said Dr. Chad Smelser, NMDOH acting state epidemiologist, in a press release on September 26, 2025.

"Fully vaccinated people and those who got caught up with their vaccines during this outbreak prevented it from spreading further."

New Mexicans received over 56,000 MMR vaccines since February. The MMR vaccine remains widely available in New Mexico clinics and pharmacies for anyone who wishes to receive it.

In August 2025, the New York State Health Department reported a small number of travel-associated Chikungunya Fever cases diagnosed in international travelers to countries such as France, with no identified local mosquito-borne transmission. 

New York advised healthcare providers on procedures for testing and reporting suspected cases of Chikungunya.

In related news, a Long Island resident recently tested positive for Chikungunya, marking what could be the first locally acquired case ever reported in New York state.

NY residents are encouraged to take preventive measures, such as avoiding mosquito bites, and to consult their healthcare provider before traveling to areas with a high risk of mosquito-borne diseases, which include dengue, malaria, and Zika.

On September 25, 2025, local media reported that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the primary ones responsible for Chikungunya virus transmission, are not naturally found in New York.

Currently, approved Chikungunya vaccination services are offered at travel clinics and pharmacies in New York.

While most rabies cases in the United States are from a bite by an infected bat, a broad investigation was begun in Coffee County, Alabama, after a horse was confirmed positive for Rabies. This viral disease is almost always fatal if untreated.

The owner, family members, and a neighbor who was exposed have begun Rabies post-exposure treatment.

The horse's owners reported noticing scratch marks on her nose, and she began rubbing and showing irritation in that area. The ill horse stopped eating, symptoms worsened over the 72 hours before her death, and she became violent and started attacking and biting herself.

The owners assumed the scratches came from a fox or raccoon that she had approached. Other unvaccinated horses on the property are being observed for a period of time.  

Dr. Dee W. Jones, Alabama State Public Health Veterinarian, said in a press release on September 24, 2025, "Rabies is not as common in horses as in wildlife and domestic animals, but it is not rare. Rabies vaccines are available for horses and other livestock if recommended by a veterinarian. I encourage all horse owners to make Rabies a part of their annual vaccination, even though it is not legally required like in dogs and cats."

Vaccinating animals reduces the risk of rabies infection should exposure occur; thus, vaccinations protect animals, as well as their owners and caretakers.

Rabies prevention is multifaceted. It involves people taking precautions with wildlife, ensuring their pets are up to date on rabies vaccinations, and consistently reporting any animal bites or other exposures to their medical provider and the state health department.

On September 23, 2025, a Facebook post reported a total of 134 confirmed yellow fever cases (resulting in 58 deaths) in the Republic of Colombia for 2025.

The majority of cases have been reported in the Tolima Department, with 114 cases and 43 deaths.

This department is located west of Bogota, Colombia's capital city.

Other yellow fever cases have been reported in Huila, Cauca, Nariño, Putumayo, Caldas, Meta, Vaupés, and Guaviare y Caquetá.

Published in early September, the U.S. CDC's Level 2 Travel Health Notice stated some of these cases have been reported in new areas that border areas where vaccination has historically been recommended (see map). Travelers to these newly affected areas are now recommended to get vaccinated.

A booster dose may be given to sure travelers or those who received their last dose of yellow fever vaccine at least 10 years previously and will be in a higher-risk setting, such as areas in Colombia where cases have been reported.

In the United States, yellow fever vaccines are commercially offered at travel clinics and pharmacies.