Vaccine News

Europe is experiencing a record number of outbreaks of mosquito-borne illnesses in 2025, including chikungunya.

New data published today by the Italian Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) indicates that the country's fight against chikungunya fever continued throughout the early weeks of August 2025.

On August 21, 2025, ISS reported four local transmission events of the chikungunya virus had been identified in the northern regions of Emilia-Romagna and Veneto in two outbreaks.

Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to people by virus-carrying mosquitoes, often found in these regions' altitudes, through November each year.

From January to August 19, 2025, Italy's national surveillance system has recorded 66 confirmed cases of chikungunya (37 travel-associated cases and 29 indigenous (local) cases, and no related deaths, with a median age of 53 years.

From a prevention perspective, the U.S. CDC recommends either of the two approved chikungunya vaccines for international travelers visiting outbreak zones in 2025.

These vaccines, and other travel vaccines, are commercially offered at certified clinics and pharmacies in the United States.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently issued a declaration that allows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue Emergency Use Authorizations for animal drugs to treat or prevent infestations caused by the New World Screwworm (NWS).

As of August 20, 2025, there are no FDA-approved drugs for NWS, nor are there vaccines authorized to protect people in the United States.

As of today, NWS infestations have been confirmed in Central America and Mexico, but not in Texas.

The FDA stated in a press release that the parasite's risk to human health in the United States remains very low. Still, the potential future threat to animal populations and the food supply chain requires proactive action. 

“Our priority is to safeguard both animal health and the nation’s food supply,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H., in a press release.

“FDA is acting swiftly and responsibly to help ensure we have the necessary tools to prevent and control New World Screwworm, minimizing risks to agriculture and public health.”

Over the last two months, about $900 million has been committed by the U.S. government to combat the NWS from reaching the U.S.

NWS infests warm-blooded animals, including livestock, pets, wildlife, and, in rare cases, humans, causing severe tissue damage and sometimes death, writes the FDA.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced that the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, a country located high in the Himalaya Mountains in southeast Asia, has eliminated rubella as a public health problem.

Rubella, or German measles, is a vaccine-preventable disease that is a highly contagious viral infection. It is severe for pregnant women as infection can lead to a range of lifelong and debilitating congenital disabilities, says the WHO.

"Nepal's success reflects the unwavering commitment of its leadership, persistent efforts of the health care workers and volunteers, and unstinting support of engaged and informed communities, for a healthy start for babies and a future free of rubella disease," said Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-In-Charge WHO Southeast Asia, in a press release on August 18, 2025.

Unfortunately, this disease eradication success has not translated to the Japanese Encephalitis (JE), a flavivirus transmitted by mosquitoes that is often contracted from infected pigs and sheep.

As of August 2025, JE infections are the leading cause of viral encephalitis in 24 countries in the WHO Southeast Asia and Western Pacific/Oceania Regions, exposing more than 3 billion people to infection risks.

In Nepal, Japanese Encephalitis has been a significant public health concern since 1978, especially in the Terai region, an area that borders India.

JE is also a vaccine-preventable disease. The WHO indicated in August 2025 that Nepal's national JE vaccination coverage surpasses 95%. The government integrated JY vaccinations beginning in 2015.

However, as of August 19, 2025, the Health Ministry's data show 33 JE cases and three fatalities this year.

In 2024, 23 people died, and 80 others were infected with the JE virus.

Traditionally, JE vaccination hasn't been routinely recommended for short-term travelers to Nepal.

The WHO and the U.S. CDC recommend that international travelers visiting Nepal consider vaccination. Proven JE vaccines are available in the United States, commercially offered at various travel clinics and pharmacies in 2025.

Before 2006, chikungunya fever infections were rarely identified in the United States. However, starting in 2014, cases of chikungunya began to appear among U.S. travelers returning from affected regions in the Americas.

Local transmission of the virus has since been documented in Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

As of August 19, 2025, there have been 50 reported travel-related cases in the U.S.

Last year, 199 cases were confirmed.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has highlighted several countries where travelers are acquiring this mosquito-borne disease.

The CDC has issued a chikungunya travel health notice for outbreaks in Bolivia, China, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, France, the Department of Mayotte and Réunion, Somalia, and Sri Lanka.

According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Brazil is leading all countries in the region with over 204,000 cases in 2025.

The CDC recently wrote that international travelers can protect themselves by preventing mosquito bites. And, if you are pregnant, you should reconsider travel to the affected areas, particularly if you are close to delivering your baby.

"The CDC recommends chikungunya vaccination for travelers going to areas with current outbreaks, and also for people traveling to regions or countries with elevated risk—particularly if they'll be staying for six months or longer," Jeri Beales, MSN, RN, BS, informed Vax-Before-Travel. 

"This is especially true for individuals who are older and have chronic conditions like diabetes." 

"The list of countries and regions with ongoing outbreaks and elevated risks changes frequently, so be sure to seek advice from a travel clinic or physician's office that specializes in travel health before your trip," added Beales, with Destination Health Travel Clinic in the greater Boston, MA area.

Currently, two chikungunya vaccines are approved for use and commercailly in the U.S. at certified travel clinics and pharmacies.

The French Health Ministry recently reported that twelve cases of locally acquired malaria were recorded throughout the Mayotte Department in 2025. These are the first local cases since July 2020.

Additionally, 54 cases of imported malaria were recorded across the main island of Mayotte.

As of August 14, 2025, there have been a total of 66 cases of malaria reported in Mayotte this year.

Several imported cases, mainly from neighbouring countries in Africa, have been reported in previous years.

While available in Africa, malaria vaccines are not offered in Mayotte.

In addition to the this mosquito-borne disease, Mayotte has been significantly impacted by the Chikungunya virus in 2025. Both travel-related and locally acquired cases have been confirmed in all areas.

Unlike malaria, Chikungunya vaccines are approved and available in 2025.

These vaccines are needed in various Indian Ocean countries, such as Mauritius, Mayotte, Réunion, and Sri Lanka.

The U.S. CDC stated recently in a Level 2 Travel Health Advisory that, if eligible, Chikungunya vaccination is recommended before visiting outbreak areas in August 2025.

The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial for a new ferritin-based nanoparticle vaccine aimed at preventing infection by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).

Since May 2025, this study has been conducted at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Maryland, and began to evaluate the safety of a 3-dose vaccination regimen of an adjuvanted EBV gH/gL/gp42-ferritin nanoparticle vaccine with or without gp350-ferritin, with 750 participants. 

This represents a significant milestone in the development of an EBV vaccine, as there is currently no FDA-approved vaccine available for this virus.

The U.S. CDC states most people will get infected with EBV in their lifetime, especially in childhood, and will not have symptoms. EBV is known to cause infectious mononucleosis and has been associated with several autoimmune diseases and cancers.

According to a NIH media release in 2022, "A vaccine that could prevent or reduce the severity of infection with the Epstein-Barr virus could reduce the incidence of infectious mononucleosis and might also reduce the incidence of EBV-associated malignancies and autoimmune diseases," said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.

According to ClinicalTrials.gov, this study's expected completion date is October 2027.

In the second quarter of 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) reaffirmed that poliovirus continues to pose a global public health emergency.

However, significant progress has been made in the fight against polio within the African Region.

On August 15, 2025, WHO Africa reported that various cross-border initiatives, including vaccination campaigns, are paving the way for a future free of polio for millions of children across the continent. 

Across the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel, countries are synchronizing immunization campaigns to tackle polio in one of Africa's most challenging regions. About 161 million children were vaccinated from April to June.

Similarly, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia vaccinated over 18 million children in a synchronized effort in April 2025.

Just off Africa's east coast, Madagascar also marked a significant milestone this quarter with the official declaration of the closure of the circulating variant type 1 polio outbreak in May. Following a comprehensive Outbreak Response Assessment, the country successfully halted transmission of the virus, demonstrating the effectiveness of robust response strategies that included extensive vaccination rounds and enhanced surveillance. 

In Benin, a recent nationwide vaccination campaign successfully reached nearly 2.5 million children. The campaign even extended to remote areas, showcasing Benin's resilience and determination in its response to the threat of polio. 

Meanwhile, Malawi is strengthening its healthcare infrastructure with investments in cold chain improvements, workforce training, and community engagement—ensuring that its health systems are ready to prevent future outbreaks, added the WHO.

For an overall perspective, the WHO published a scorecard with key indicators concerning outbreak response, surveillance, and polio transition activities in the African Region.

As of August 16, 2025, the WHO and the U.S. CDC recommend that people complete the primary polio vaccination series and, for some adults, consider a booster dose before visiting poliovirus outbreak areas.

Based on recent news, novel polio vaccines may soon become available that reduce poliovirus shedding and polio cases.

When departing abroad from the United States, various travel vaccine clinics and pharmacies offer polio vaccination services.