Travel Vaccine Breaking News

The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) recently confirmed its ninth travel-related case of dengue in 2025.

As of the end of June 2025, the DOH reported eight dengue cases on Oʻahu and one case on Maui.

Several countries in the Pacific Region are reporting an increase in mosquito-transmitted dengue virus cases, including Fiji, French Polynesia, Tonga, and the Republic of the Philippines.

According to the World Health Organization, dengue is a grade 3 emergency, with an estimated 4 billion people at risk globally. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reissued a Global Travel Health Notice on June 18, 2025, regarding dengue outbreaks in the Asia/Pacific region, including India, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Myanmar. 

CDC reported on July 3, 2025, that 2,248 travel-related Dengue cases and two local cases in Miami, Florida, were reported in 41 jurisdictions this year.

While the CDC currently authorizes the first-generation dengue vaccine for use in Puerto Rico, where dengue has become endemic, numerous countries enable access to a second-generation vaccine in 2025. Additionally, innovative dengue vaccine candidates are making progress in late-stage clinical trials.

The French Health Ministry has been reporting a significant number of locally acquired chikungunya cases in its Department in 2025. ARS Corsica states that the presence of the virus-carrying tiger mosquito is now well established in southern Corsica and throughout Europe.

As of July 2, 2025, a third locally acquired case of chikungunya has been detected in southern Corsica, in Porticcio (municipality of Grosseto-Prugna).

In late June 2025, ARS Corsica reported two cases of chikungunya from the same family, residing in Grossetto-Prugna.

On France's mainland, the Occitanie Regional Health Agency detected a locally transmitted case of Chikungunya in the Hérault Department on June 16, 2025. Another case was reported in La Crau (Var) on June 11, 2025.

Additionally, the Departments of Reunion and Mayotte in the southern India Ocean have been confronting chikungunya outbreaks over the last few months.

From a health protection perspective, chikungunya vaccines are now commercially available in France and the United States. 

The U.S. CDC recommends that international travelers visiting areas with chikungunya outbreaks speak with a travel vaccine expert about immunization options.

A new study, published this week in JAMA Network Open and conducted by researchers from the University of Kentucky, analyzed data from the Cancer Statistics Incidence Analytic Database.

Released on June 30, 2025, this study's findings underscore the significant burden of cancer linked to human papillomavirus (HPV) among residents of Appalachia, who have a 16% higher rate of HPV-related cancers.

Furthermore, regional-specific disparities were seen for HPV-associated male and female oropharyngeal cancers, female anal cancer, vulvar cancer, cervical cancer, and penile cancer.

Incidence was highest among individuals living in the North Central and Central regions.

The North Central subregion had the highest incidence rates of male oropharyngeal cancer.

In contrast, the Central and North Central subregions had significantly higher rates of vulvar, cervical, and penile cancers than the other subregions.

These researchers wrote, 'This cross-sectional study of HPV-associated cancer incidence found disproportionately high HPV-associated cancer rates among Appalachian residents compared with non-Appalachian residents.'

'These findings highlight the need for targeted efforts to improve HPV vaccine uptake and encourage adherence to evidence-based screening guidelines for HPV-associated cancers in Appalachia.'

Currently, the U.S. CDC recommends HPV vaccination for most adolescents in a two or three-dose regimen. And recommends vaccination for everyone through age 26 if not adequately vaccinated at a younger age.

As of July 3, 2025, Merck's Gardasil 9 vaccine is readily available at health clinics and pharmacies throughout the Appalachian Mountain range and the United States.

Florida health officials recently reported additional cases of mosquito-transmitted and travel-related chikungunya, dengue, and malaria in 2025.

After a slow start, these serious diseases have been concentrated in southeast Florida, in the great Miami area, which welcomes millions of international visitors each year.

Currently, Miami-Dade County remains under a mosquito-borne illness alert.

As of June 28, 2025, Florida Health's Weekly Arbovirus Report confirmed a second, indigenous case of dengue in Miami-Dade County.

The most recent case has been identified as serotype DENV-4, while the early case was DENV-3.

In 2024, a total of 91 cases of locally acquired dengue have been reported across ten Florida counties.

Additionally, there have been four cases of chikungunya and 20 cases of malaria related to international travelers this year.

While there are no travel advisories issued for Florida's southeast coast, Canada and the UK both advise speaking with a travel vaccine expert before visiting at-risk areas in 2025.

Emory University and Micron Biomedical recently announced the first clinical trial for a novel rotavirus vaccine, CC24.

This vaccine candidate is delivered using dissolvable microarray technology and is currently enrolling participants in the Phase 1 study, which launched in mid-June 2025.

Notably, this trial represents the first clinical evaluation of a drug or vaccine administered via patch or microarray, sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"CDC recognizes the potential of this groundbreaking clinical trial, which will test the safety of both our novel vaccine, CC24, in adults and the vaccine's delivery with 'patch' technology," says Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, in a press release.

"The trial marks significant progress in vaccine technology innovation and is a critical step toward saving more children from rotavirus illness and death." 

Rotavirus infection is a leading cause of diarrheal deaths among children, particularly in low and middle-income countries where existing oral vaccines are often less effective. CC24 is a uniquely inactivated rotavirus vaccine developed by the CDC to provide an alternative to the oral administration of rotavirus vaccines.

Micron Biomedical's unique needle-free technology rapidly delivers vaccines and therapeutics via dissolvable microarray compounds that are painlessly pressed into the upper layers of the skin. 

As of July 2, 2025, U.S.-FDA-approved rotavirus vaccines are available.

In June 2025, the WHO's Dengue Situation Update #723 confirmed that the Western Pacific Region continues to face a high burden of mosquito-borne arboviral diseases, particularly Dengue. 

Within the Philippines, Quezon City (QC) declared a Dengue outbreak in February 2025

The QC government today published updated data regarding the ongoing outbreak.

The QC Epidemiology and Surveillance Division (QCESD) dashboard reported on July 1, 2025, that 5,762 dengue cases were reported in 2025, with QC's District 2 confirming the highest number of cases.

The QCESD stated that most fatal dengue cases (23) involved children and young women.

To alert international travelers visiting QC, a metro area with about 3 million residents located north of Manila, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention included the Philippines in its Global Dengue Outbreak Advisory issued in June 2025.

Without a preventive vaccine available in the U.S., the CDC recommends that travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites by using an EPA-registered insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors, and sleeping in an air-conditioned room or one with window screens.

Current polio vaccines are made from either inactivated or weakened versions of the virus. These vaccines have been administered worldwide for many decades.

However, this approach presents challenges in certain situations. It highlights the need for an improved vaccine that does not rely on the virus itself, particularly as the global community strives to end poliovirus infections.

As of June 30, 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified poliovirus detections in 41 countries.

Developing vaccine formulations that do not use live viruses in their production would be highly beneficial, as it would eliminate the potential safety risks associated with handling and growing the virus, wrote Evaxion A/S in early June 2025.

To address this need, Evaxion received undisclosed funding from the Gates Foundation to help eradicate polio worldwide by exploring design options for a new and innovative vaccine.

This project will combine Evaxion’s leading and clinically validated AI-Immunology™ platform to identify and combine various antigens to combat the virus. Based on these findings, several new antigen constructs will be designed for selection and validation.

“We are thrilled to receive support from the Gates Foundation and help the world achieve the goal of completely eradicating polio. We are excited to apply our AI-Immunology™ platform to combat yet another infectious disease. The grant allows for further application and validation of our platform without adding to our operational spend,” says Christian Kanstrup, CEO of Evaxion, in a press release on June 3, 2025.

The inactivated (killed) polio vaccine (IPV) was developed in 1955 to produce antibodies in the blood that target all three poliovirus types, thereby preventing the spread of the virus, and has been offered in the U.S. since 2000.

IPV vaccinations are offered at clinics and pharmacies in the U.S.