Travel Vaccine Breaking News

The Ecuadorian Ministry of Public Health reported 10 confirmed fatal cases of yellow fever and eight related fatalities as of June 28, 2025.

These patients were primarily from the provinces of Morona Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe.

Current U.S. CDC Travel Health Advisory recommendations include that yellow fever vaccination is recommended for travelers ≥9 months old going to areas below 7,550 ft elevation, east of the Andes Mountains, in the provinces of Morona-Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Sucumbíos, Tungurahua*, and Zamora-Chinchipe.

These areas are where virus-carrying mosquitoes are found.

Vaccine is generally not recommended for travel limited to areas below 7,550 ft elevation, west of the Andes Mountains, in the provinces of Esmeraldas,* Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí, Santa Elena, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, and designated areas in the provinces of Azuay, Bolívar, Cañar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Imbabura, Loja, and Pichincha.

And for the cities of Guayaquil or Quito (the capital), or the Galápagos Islands.

The first malaria vaccine recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) is expected to become significantly less expensive in Africa soon.

This news is essential as most of the malaria-endemic countries have the highest rates of infections and deaths, which are found in Africa.

Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) and GSK plc today announced that Bharat Biotech will reduce the price of the RTS,S vaccine (Mosquirix™) by more than half, to less than $5, progressively by 2028.

This price reduction is driven by process improvements, expanded production capacity, cost-effective manufacturing, and minimal profit margins. Bharat Biotech has invested over $200 million in new, higher-output manufacturing facilities, product development, and technology transfers.

Dr. Krishna Ella, Executive Chairman of BBIL, said in a press release, "Through this historic announcement, we aim to change the course of malaria burden for millions of children and families. For us, this is more than a cooperation, it’s a promise..... At Bharat Biotech, we believe technology must deliver on three essentials: safety, affordability, and accessibility."

"With this collaboration, we are turning this belief into real impact, to ensure life-saving vaccines reach the communities that need them most.”

With Gavi’s support, 12 endemic countries in Africa will have introduced RTS,S through routine immunisation programmes by the end of 2025.

As of June 26, 2025, neither malaria vaccine is available in the United States.

Overall, global coverage for vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, polio, and tuberculosis nearly doubled from 1980 to 2023.

However, this long-term trend masks recent challenges.

To achieve 90% global coverage for life-course vaccines, we must accelerate progress to reach current estimates of zero-dose children.

As of June 24, 2025, most zero-dose children remain concentrated in regions with various resource constraints that limit the availability of vaccination services.

This analysis, published in The Lancet, discloses that, as of 2023, more than 50% of the 15.7 million global zero-dose children reside in eight countries: Nigeria, India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Indonesia, and Brazil.

These researchers wrote, 'findings underscore the crucial need for targeted, equitable immunisation strategies, strengthening primary health-care systems, and adapting to local contexts are essential to advancing coverage.'

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recently confirmed that the overall risk associated with the yellow fever situation in the Americas Region, particularly in endemic countries such as the Federative Republic of Brazil, is classified as ¨High¨.

As of June 24, 2025, mosquito-borne transmissions of the yellow fever virus (YFV) have been confirmed throughout the states, including São Paulo State. 

The YFV was detected in two distinct geographic locations in São Paulo, between September 2024 and February 2025. Phylogenetic analysis of six new genomes revealed a reintroduction in 2022 from Midwest Brazil

According to Brazil's Ministry of Health, yellow fever is an acute, vaccine-preventable, febrile infectious disease with high mortality rates in its severe forms. There is no evidence of person-to-person transmission, so avoiding mosquito bites is crucial.

Vaccination is the primary tool for preventing yellow fever in Brazil.

Since April 2017, Brazil has adopted a vaccination schedule of only one dose for life, a measure that aligns with the World Health Organization's recommendations.

When visiting Brazil and other areas endemic for yellow fever in 2025, the U.S. CDC recommends being vaccinated at least 10 days before departure. The YF-VAX vaccine is available at certified travel clinics and pharmacies in the United States.

According to recent data published by France Public Health, international travelers are returning to mainland France infected with various mosquito-transmitted diseases.

As of June 18, 2025, France reported that over the past six weeks, the following diseases have been identified:

Chikungunya: 583 imported cases of chikungunya. Additionally, two unrelated indigenous (local) cases of chikungunya have been identified in 2025, one in the Var department and the other in the Hérault department. This report does not include data from the ongoing chikungunya outbreaks in the French Departments in the Indian Ocean.

Dengue: 395 imported cases of dengue fever,

Zika: 2 imported cases of Zika.

The chikungunya, dengue, and Zika viruses are primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, specifically Aedes albopictus (tiger mosquito), in mainland France. Aedes albopictus has been established in southern France since 2004 and has been gradually spreading since then.

At the start of 2025, 81 out of 96 departments were colonized by the vector mosquito Aedes albopictus.

While dengue and Zika vaccines are not yet available as of June 23, 2025, two chikungunya vaccines are commercially offered in various countries, including the United States.

The World Health Organization states that for nearly a decade, the Horn of Africa has been battling persistent outbreaks of the poliovirus variant. Low immunity in children and unmonitored population movement have fueled the spread of poliovirus.

For example, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia recently reported four additional cases of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs) from Oromiya.

According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative GPEI), on June 18, 2025, Ethiopia reported 33 cases reported in 2025.

This GPEI data compares with 43 cases reported in 2024.

The Global Polio Surveillance Action Plan 2025–2026 outlines enhanced strategies for acute flaccid paralysis and response to poliovirus transmission.

In 2025, Ethiopia strengthened its surveillance and preparedness efforts to prevent the further spread of the disease. In February, over 15 million children were vaccinated. The campaign launched in the country’s Somali region.

To alert international travelers to the risk of poliovirus in Ethiopia, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) included this African country in the June 14, 2025, Travel Health Advisory.

The CDC recommends that all visitors to high-risk areas be fully immunized against this severe disease. Polio vaccines are generally available at travel clinics and pharmacies throughout the United States.

In the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA), several countries are currently experiencing outbreaks of hepatitis A virus (HAV), with two clusters involving closely related HAV subgenotype IB strains.

As of June 18, 2025, Hungary (66 cases), Austria (43 cases), Slovakia (23 cases) and Germany (three cases) have a high probability of sustained transmission and circulation of the HAV within specific groups, as assessed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

Additionally, cases have been reported among members of the Roma communities in Czechia.

In 2024, Czechia sequenced a total of 52 samples, of which 34 were identified as subgenotype IB. Between January and the end of April 2025, 30 additional samples were analysed, with 25 identified as subgenotype IB.

Since hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable disease, the ECDC recommends tailoring outreach to populations at higher risk of exposure to HAV, based on an understanding of their specific needs, attitudes, and knowledge.

The specific recommendations include the following actions:

Targeted single-dose pre-exposure hepatitis A vaccination programmes for populations who are not vaccinated and who are more likely to be exposed to the virus.

Provide post-exposure prophylaxis to close contacts of cases by administering the hepatitis A vaccine, or in particular circumstances, hepatitis A immunoglobulins.

And finally, consider targeted vaccination of population groups more likely to be exposed to HAV in low and very-low-endemicity settings to provide individual health benefits.

As of June 20, 2025, the U.S. CDC recommends that international travelers visiting areas with HAV outbreaks consult with a vaccine expert one month before departure to assess vaccination options.

For example, vaccination is recommended for unvaccinated travelers one year old or older going to Hungary. And when visiting the Lisbon and Tagus Valley regions in Portugal.