Travel Vaccine Breaking News

As Spring Break 2025 approaches, many travelers plan to visit the Republic of Costa Rica's warm waters and flush mountains. However, a new alert indicates that driving near the local airport should be done cautiously. 

The U.S. Embassy in San Jose today announced it has received reports regarding incidents near the Juan Santamaría International Airport.

As of February 5, 2025, the Embassy recommends that all travelers use caution when frequenting this area or routes from the airport and consider using alternate routes. If confronted, do not stop; continue progressing forward and contact 911 when it is safe. The Embassy also suggests that visitors enroll in NEWSMART to make contacting them during emergencies easier and send them safety and security alerts.

Previously, the U.S. Department of State upgraded its Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution, Travel Advisory for Costa Rica, due to local crime.

From a health perspective, Costa Rica reported over 31,000 dengue cases, 232 malaria patients, 40 chikungunya, and 26 Zika cases in 2024.

The U.S. CDC suggests that future visitors to Costa Rica speak with a travel vaccine expert about one month before departure in 2025.

While measles has not been confirmed in Bermuda, a British Overseas Territory, for several decades, it remains at risk for importation.

Bermuda's Ministry of Health’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit recently announced it is investigating a suspected case of measles on the island in the North Atlantic Ocean.

As of February 4, 2025, given the highly contagious nature of the measles virus, public health measures are being implemented, including the identification and notification of persons who may have had a potential measles exposure and would be considered close contacts. 

The Ministry strongly emphasizes the importance of measles awareness and prevention. Vaccination is crucial in reducing the risk of catching and spreading measles.

The Ministry says anyone who has not received both doses of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccine should follow the below guidance to protect themselves and others.

As of February 6, 2025, the UK's Travel Health Pro says 'travelers (to Bermuda) should ideally arrange an appointment with their health professional at least four to six weeks before travel. However, even if time is short, an appointment is still worthwhile.'

Additionally, all travelers should ensure adequate travel health insurance when visiting Bermuda, a recent tourism hot spot. In 2023, total visitor arrivals [air, cruise & yacht] increased by about 30% in one year.

Bermuda was not listed in the U.S. CDC's recent Global Measles Alert, nor were the cases recently confirmed in Canada and Texas.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed another Clade 1b mpox case in England, the United Kingdom's ninth since late 2024.

Previous mpox cases were confirmed in the great London area.

Beginning in 2024, clade one mpox cases were reported from countries beyond the Central African Region. 

On February 4, 2025, the UKHSA reported this mpox patient had a history of travel to Uganda, a hot spot for mpox outbreaks.

Mpox is an infectious disease caused by virus infection. It was first discovered in 1958 during outbreaks of a pox-like disease. The first human case of clade one was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In May 2022, a global outbreak of clade two mpox was confirmed.

Mpox is a vaccine-preventable disease, with approved vaccines available in the UK, the United States, and various other countries in 2025.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported that since the beginning of 2025, and as of late January, over 5,000 Chikungunya virus disease (CHIKVD) cases and two related fatalities have been reported in three countries in the Region of the Americas (Brazil, Paraguay, and Colombia) and one in Europe.

While the ECDC has not had any autochthonous (local) cases of CHIKVD in mainland Europe in 2025, 138 cases have been reported from the French overseas department of La Réunion, located off the east coast of Africa.

In 2024, about 620,000 CHIKVD cases and 213 related fatalities were detected in countries in the Americas (15), Asia (6), Africa (1), and Europe (1).

As of February 5, 2025, one Chikungunya vaccine has been approved in Europe, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Valneva SE's IXCHIQ® Chikungunya vaccine is recommended for most travelers visiting outbreak areas.

A research study was recently conducted to assess the safety and tolerability of the tetravalent live-attenuated dengue vaccine, which is commercially known as Qdenga®. The study provides important insights into reactogenicity and may help improve vaccination strategies in dengue-naïve populations.

The study results were published in the Journal of Travel Medicine on February 2, 2025. Vaccine-related reactions were frequently reported, predominantly after the first dose in dengue-naïve participants.

While vaccine coadministration was a common strategy, it did not significantly increase side effects.

After the first dose, 51% of the participants reported systemic reactions, such as headache (40% (190/474)), weakness (40% (189/474)), and malaise (32% (154/474)), which were most pronounced between days 7 and 11 after vaccination.

After the second dose, localized signs and symptoms such as pain at the injection site (22% (n = 55/250)) were more common. Fever was more common after the first dose (20% (96/474)) vs. 2% (6/250) after the second.

A total of 334 (28%) coadministrations were reported, whereby AEs were reported in 47% (157/333) of participants, with the highest prevalence observed when combined with the Japanese encephalitis vaccine (56.8%, (42/74)).

Differences in age groups were observed, with decreased reactions in older people (≥ 65 years).

As of February 2025, Qdenga is not offered in the United States and is in limited supply globally. 

Later this year, Butantan Institute's single-dose, tetravalent, live attenuated Butantan-DV dengue vaccine may become available in Brazil, where it conducts phase 3 clinical trials.

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services of the Republic of Fiji announced today a dengue fever outbreak in the Western Division.

As of February 3, 2025, about 200 dengue cases have been reported for the Western Division since the beginning of this year. Most cases from the Western Division belong to the 10-29 age group.

The Ministry wrote in a press release, 'More cases of dengue fever are expected during the rainy season, which lasts until April 2025.'

In 2024, over 2,033 dengue fever cases were reported in Fiji.

The U.K. Travel Health Pro advises' taking usual precautions' when visiting Fiji. However, the U.S. CDC does not list Fiji in its Global Dengue Outbreak notice.

The U.K. says dengue is a mosquito-transmitted infection caused by the dengue virus. There are four types: DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4. A second-generation vaccine has been found effective against three types but has limited availability in 2025.

Located in the South Pacific Ocean, north-northeast of New Zealand, Fiji is an archipelago of about 100 inhabited islands. It is a tourist hot spot, welcoming over 900,000 visitors in 2024, many from Australia, New Zealand, and North America.

Should U.S. citizens need local assistance, the U.S. Department of State's embassy is located at 158 Princes Rd, Tamavua Suva, Fiji Islands.

The Victoria Department of Health (VDH) recently confirmed that a human case of Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) had been identified in a resident of northern Victoria.

This is the first case in Victoria in 2025.

On January 20, 2025, Dr. Christian McGrath, VDH's Acting Chief Health Officer, issued an alert stating that residents and visitors to northern Victoria, mainly inland riverine regions and near the Murray River, are potentially at higher risk of infection and should take measures to prevent mosquito bites.

Victoria is Australia's second-most-populated state, with a population of over 6.9 million. In 2024, it welcomed about 12 million visitors, many visiting the city of Melbourne.

Since January 2021, 45 people in Australia have been infected with JEV outbreaks, resulting in seven deaths.

In June 2023, the Joint National Japanese  Encephalitis Virus Outbreak Response Plan became effective.

"Historically, the risk of contracting JE in Australia has been limited to the Torres Strait region near Papua New Guinea. However, since 2021, new cases have been confirmed in southeastern Australian states, including Victoria, where infections have occurred in rural areas surrounding the Murray River," Jeri Beales, MSN, RN, informed Vax-Before-Travel News.

"If your vacation itinerary takes you to popular tourist areas in major Australian cities, you most likely do not need the JE vaccine."

"But if you plan to stay in risk areas for weeks to months, then vaccination is recommended," added Beales, MSN, RN, leads Destination Health Clinic, a Boston-area travel health provider specializing in health education and vaccination for international travelers.

Since JEV is a vaccine-preventable disease, Valneva SE's JESPECT® vaccine is offered free of charge in Australia for specific groups at higher risk of exposure to the virus. However, due to the significant global demand for the vaccine, access is restricted to those most at risk.

In February 2025, IXIARO® will be the only JEV vaccine commercially offered at travel clinics and pharmacies in the United States. The vaccine requires two doses for U.S. travelers, usually given four weeks apart. 

To protect its military staff from this mosquito-transmitted disease, the U.S. Department of Defense recently ordered $32.8 million worth of IXIARO.

Note: This VBT News article was updated on Feb. 4, 2025, to include a vaccine expert insight.