Vaccine News

As the February 2026 vaccination plans are being formed, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued an important reminder for travelers heading to Cape Verde to take extra precautions against gastrointestinal infections when visiting the West African archipelago.

As of February 5, 2026, recent UKHSA data indicate a significant cluster of Shigella sonnei cases, a bacterial cause of severe dysentery-like illness, along with multiple clusters of non-typhoidal Salmonella infections strongly linked to recent travel to Cape Verde.

Since October 1, 2025, the UKHSA has confirmed 158 cases of Shigella sonnei in travelers returning to England, Scotland, and Wales. Of the 118 cases where international travel was reported, 112 (94.9%).

Many travelers to Cape Verde have visited the Santa Maria area on Sal Island and the Boa Vista area, popular resorts known for their beaches.

The UKHSA says this strain of Shigella sonnei shows no genomic resistance to the common antimicrobials typically used to treat traveler's diarrhea, which could facilitate treatment if an infection occurs.

Additionally, 32 cases were linked to travel to Cape Verde during the same period.

Investigations into the outbreaks are ongoing and involve international health partners. Cases have also been reported in other European countries, particularly from September to November 2025.

Shigella and Salmonella are primarily transmitted through contaminated food and water, poor hygiene practices, and person-to-person contact. The risk of infection is especially heightened in resort settings.

Symptoms typically appear within a few days, and while most people recover within a week with supportive care (with hydration being crucial), severe cases can lead to dehydration, hospitalization, or complications. This is particularly concerning for vulnerable groups such as young children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems.

The UKHSA emphasizes that while Cape Verde is a popular travel destination, increased vigilance can help prevent illness and ensure a safe holiday. Travelers who experience symptoms upon returning should seek medical advice and inform their doctor about their travel history.

From a prevention standpoint, no Shigella vaccine has received regulatory approval from any health authority as of February 2026.

However, the Shigella4V (S4V or S4V2) vaccine candidate received U.S. FDA Fast Track designation in 2024. Phase 2 studies (including in infants) are underway, but no Phase 3 completion or approval has been achieved yet.

Measles is an ongoing risk around the world, and children are at serious risk for the highly transmissible disease in most countries. Since 2023, measles incidence has been rising in many countries worldwide, including in Europe.

The Israeli Ministry of Health recently reported the 14th pediatric fatality due to measles since an outbreak began in mid-April 2025, partially from imported cases and others of unknown origin.

The Ministry's announcement on February 2, 2026, confirmed that the affected individual was a one-year-old who had not been vaccinated. The baby was brought to Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital in Jerusalem in critical condition. 

Similar to previous cases, most of the deceased were healthy infants without any underlying conditions and had also not received vaccinations.

The Ministry emphasizes that measles is a preventable disease and advises that all children should receive their first vaccine dose at the age of one. In areas affected by the outbreak in Israel, the Health Ministry recommends administering the second dose of the measles vaccine at 18 months.

Additionally, an extra vaccine dose is recommended for infants aged 6 to 11 months in outbreak areas and for those traveling to outbreak areas.

As of February 5, 2026, the areas in Israel that have been classified as experiencing a measles outbreak are Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, Harish, Modi'in Illit, Nof HaGalil, Kiryat Gat, Ashdod, Safed, Netivot, Haifa, Tiberias, the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, and the settlement of Tekoa.

To alert international travelers to their health risk, the U.S. CDC has maintained a Level 1, Travel Health Notice, that identifies measles outbreaks in numerious countries. The CDC advises all travelers to speak with a local travel vaccine expert about measles immunization options and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

In the past year, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported over 600,000 cases of cholera or acute watery diarrhea and nearly 7,600 deaths across 33 countries.

However, these figures are likely underreported, as cholera cases often go unrecorded.

Today, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF, and the WHO announced that the global supply of oral cholera vaccine (OCV) has increased sufficiently to resume life-saving preventive vaccination campaigns for the first time in over three years.

A first allocation of 20 million doses is being deployed for preventive campaigns.

Of these, 3.6 million doses were delivered to Mozambique; 6.1 million to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is also experiencing significant outbreaks; and 10.3 million doses are planned for delivery to Bangladesh.

"Global vaccine shortages forced us into a cycle of reacting to cholera outbreaks instead of preventing them. We are now in a stronger position to break that cycle. I thank EUBiologics, currently the only manufacturer producing cholera vaccines at the scale needed for mass vaccination campaigns, for its efforts, and urge others to enter this vital space. These vaccines will save lives," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, in a press release on February 4, 2026.

Over the last few years, the annual global supply of OCV has doubled from 35 million doses in 2022 to nearly 70 million doses in 2025. The doses are being financed by Gavi and procured and delivered to countries by UNICEF.

"The multi-year surge in cholera cases and resulting unprecedented demand for vaccines were stark reminders that sustainable, accessible vaccine supply is a global public good – and the world cannot afford complacency," added Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

"For the first time in years, this increase in vaccines will allow us to prevent large-scale cholera emergencies better," said Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director. "Resuming preventive cholera vaccination will protect children and help stop this highly contagious disease in its tracks. But it must go hand in hand with other efforts, including better access to safe water and basic sanitation."

While global vaccine supply steadily improves, the one-dose strategy will remain the standard for outbreak responses, with the use of two doses considered on a case-by-case basis.

Cholera spreads through contaminated food and water, causing severe diarrhoea and dehydration. It can lead to death if it is not treated quickly. It is found in places without safe water and sanitation, mainly in localities affected by conflict and poverty.

The WHO says vaccination is only one aspect of cholera prevention and response. Long-term investments in safe water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure, alongside disease surveillance, rapid treatment, and community engagement, remain essential to prevent outbreaks from starting and spreading, and to reduce deaths in the long term.

In the United States, OCVs are offered at travel vaccine clinics, located in every state.

As of February 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet approved any vaccine for the herpes simplex virus (HSV). However, several candidates are currently undergoing clinical trials.

These efforts aim to tackle the global impact of HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections, which cause oral and genital herpes in millions of people annually.

Unfortunately, the FDA states that there is currently no cure for HSV infections.

However, antiviral medications can help shorten the duration of herpes outbreaks. A significant advancement in HSV treatment is currently attracting attention.

AiCuris Anti-infective Cures AG is set to present detailed results from its pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of pritelivir as a late-breaking oral presentation at the Tandem Meetings 2026, held February 4-7 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Pritelivir, a novel oral helicase-primase inhibitor, targets both HSV-1 and HSV-2 by blocking viral DNA synthesis through a mechanism distinct from traditional nucleoside analogs like acyclovir or valacyclovir.

This unique mode of action makes it effective against strains resistant to current standard therapies, addressing a critical unmet need—particularly in immunocompromised patients, where resistant or refractory HSV infections can lead to severe complications and limited treatment options.

The PRIOH-1 trial focused on immunocompromised individuals with acyclovir-refractory (and sometimes foscarnet-resistant) mucocutaneous HSV infections. In October 2025, AiCuris announced that pritelivir met its primary endpoint, demonstrating statistically significant superiority in lesion healing compared to the investigator's choice of standard-of-care treatments (such as foscarnet, cidofovir, or topical options).

Superiority was shown for treatment up to 28 days (p=0.0047), with even stronger results extending to 42 days (p<0.0001).

Earlier Phase 2 data supported a favorable safety profile, and pritelivir has held an FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for this indication since 2020. AiCuris expects to file for FDA marketing authorization in 2026, potentially offering the first new HSV therapy in decades that is active against resistant strains.

Full abstracts will be released on February 4, 2026, and will be available via the conference website here. 

This development highlights progress in managing HSV complications in high-risk groups, even as preventive vaccines remain further on the horizon. Ongoing research and presentations like this at major conferences continue to drive hope for improved options against this widespread virus.

The Republic of Costa Rica's tourism sector has started the 2026 winter vacation season on a positive note, with reports of strong international arrivals.

By early February 2026, Costa Rican tourism authorities had noted bustling activity at the country's main airports: Juan Santamaría International Airport in the Central Valley and Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport.

Like past seasons, snowbirds are attracted to Costa Rica's sunny beaches, volcanoes, rainforests, and eco-tourism options.

However, amidst this promising tourism rebound, health authorities have issued a warning regarding mosquito-borne diseases.

On January 29, 2026, the Ministry of Health confirmed a second case of Chikungunya in a resident of Esparza, Puntarenas province—the same canton where the first case was confirmed earlier in January.

Based on the onset of symptoms, the second patient may have been infected around the same time as the initial case.

Puntarenas is located in the western part of the country, covering most of Costa Rica's Pacific Ocean coast. And Esparza is situated between the mouths of the Río Barranca and the Río Jesús María rivers.

Vector control efforts in Esparza are ramping up, with teams having already fumigated 10,210 homes and buildings, applied insecticides using LECO sprayers and tractor-mounted foggers, and conducted thorough searches for individuals exhibiting fever symptoms.

These measures will continue over the next few weeks to prevent further spread of the virus.

Last year, eight cases of Chikungunya were reported, a marked improvement from 2024, when over 400 cases were reported.

The Ministry of Health has reminded the public that Chikungunya is transmitted by the same Aedes mosquitoes that spread Dengue and Zika.

Symptoms typically include fever, severe joint pain, muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, and rash. While most cases are mild and resolve within weeks, joint pain can persist.

While no vaccines are required for entry into Costa Rica when traveling from the United States, chikungunya vaccines are available at travel vaccination clinics before departure abroad.

Travelers are advised to stay informed about health recommendations from the Ministry of Health, the U.S. CDC, or reliable sources such as vax-before-travel.com.

The early weeks of 2026 have seen a significant decline in reported cholera cases compared to the same period last year, according to preliminary data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in its week #5 report.

The ECDC reported that from January 1 to January 27, 2026, a total of 1,203 cholera cases, including seven deaths, were reported across eight countries: Angola, Burundi, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, and Zambia.

Health authorities attribute the decline to a combination of seasonal factors, improved response efforts, and expanded interventions in high-risk areas.

This figure marks a significant decrease from the equivalent period in 2025, when 10,043 cases and 32 deaths were reported worldwide by January 27. The reduction aligns with broader trends observed in late 2025, when global cholera activity began to ease in some regions after peaks in previous years.

For context, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a cumulative total of approximately 614,828 cholera cases and 7,598 deaths from January 1 to December 28, 2025, across 33 countries in five WHO regions.

Vaccine availability is a critical concern in controlling disease outbreaks.

The global oral cholera vaccine (OCV) stockpile, managed by the International Coordinating Group (ICG) and partners such as UNICEF and WHO, has fluctuated in recent years as high demand has outstripped production.

As of early 2026, emergency stockpile reports indicate that over 20 million doses are available (including formulations such as OCV-S), with ongoing production increases aimed at meeting global needs.

WHO-prequalified OCVs, such as Vaxchora, are being deployed for reactive vaccination campaigns in affected areas.

The ECDC and the WHO say that international travelers to affected regions should consult healthcare providers and local travel vaccination experts about OCV options to prevent disease while abroad.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified the 2025-2026 influenza season as moderate severity across all age groups.

However, seasonal influenza activity remains elevated nationwide and increased last week after three weeks of decline.

And Influenza A activity has remained stable, while influenza B activity has increased. 

As of January 30, 2026, the CDC's FluView reported #3 stated that at this point in the flu season, the pediatric age group is classified as having high severity, while both the adult and older adult age groups are classified as having moderate severity. 

Furthermore, the CDC confirmed eight additional influenza-associated pediatric deaths this week, bringing the total for the 2025-2026 season to 52.

Among children who were eligible for influenza vaccination and with known vaccine status, approximately 90% of reported pediatric deaths this season have occurred in children who were not fully vaccinated against influenza.

The CDC and healthcare providers throughout the USA encourage all children to be protected from influenza by accessing flu shots when recommended.