Vaccine News

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.

Since 1952, when the first Japanese Encephalitis (JE) case in India, this mosquito-transmitted disease has been a significant public health concern.

Local media reported in late June 2025 that an outbreak of JE is responsible for 32 people being admitted to a hospital, with four related fatalities, in Assam, a state in northeastern India.

Since April 2025, the Japanese Encephalitis virus (JEV) has primarily affected areas with pig-rearing and paddy field activity, both known risk zones for virus transmission by infected mosquitoes.

These mosquitoes acquired the JEV from pigs, birds, and sheep.

According to data from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, about 925 JE cases were detected in Assam in 2024.

To help reduce the impact of this severe disease, JE vaccinations have been started in Assam's nine districts.

Assam is located south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys, just to the east of Nepal, where twenty-nine districts have reported JE cases.

To alert international travelers visiting Assam and Nepal, the U.S. CDC recommends vaccination for travelers who are moving to an area with an outbreak or spend extended periods in areas with Japanese encephalitis cases.

When departing from the United States, an approved JE vaccine (IXIARO®) is commercially offered at travel clinics and pharmacies.

Recently, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advised against all travel to several volcanoes in the Republic of Indonesia. 

On June 18, 2025, the FCDO stated that ash plumes from volcanoes can have a significant impact on health, particularly for individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions, such as asthma.

Additionally, during the dry season from May to November, widespread wildfires cause a smoke haze that drifts across parts of Indonesia, particularly the Riau Islands, central Sumatra, and Kalimantan.

The haze can disrupt local and regional air travel, and air pollution has a significant impact on public health. 

If you plan to visit Indonesia in 2025, the UK advises researching your destinations and obtaining suitable travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities, and expenses in the event of an emergency.

Seperately, the U.S. Department of State recently issued a level 4 advisory for international visitors to consider before visiting Indonesia.

From a health perspective, the U.S. CDC includes Indonesia in recent measles and polio travel advisories.

As of June 2025, Indonesia's dengue cases had risen to 52,410, with 210 deaths reported this year. And chikungunya cases reached 1,245, primarily in Java.

The CDC suggests speaking with a travel vaccine expert before visiting Indonesia this year.

The mosquito-transmitted West Nile virus (WNV) has been actively spreading throughout 14 Louisiana parishes since 2002 and continues to do so in 2025.

On June 25, 2025, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) confirmed Louisiana’s first human case of WNV of the 2025 mosquito season. This case was confirmed in an individual from Livingston Parish, located east of Baton Rouge and north of New Orleans, who was hospitalized due to complications from the infection.

In 2024, there were 57 confirmed human cases of WNV in Louisiana, including three deaths. 

In 2024, 1,466 WNV cases were confirmed in 49 states in the USA, led by Texas with 176 cases.

The LDH says WNV can cause mild to severe illnesses. While most people infected with West Nile virus develop no symptoms, about 20% of infected individuals develop West Nile fever, a flu-like illness characterized by symptoms that can include fever, headaches, body aches, nausea, and rashes. About 1 in 150 people who are infected with WNV develop a severe illness that can affect the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, which may even cause paralysis or death.

WNV is an international concern.

For example, according to a research program by the UK Health Security Agency and the Animal and Plant Health Agency, WNV genetic material was detected in mosquitoes in Britain for the first time in 2025.

As of June 27, 2025, vaccine candidates to protect people against WNV have not been approved in the United States.

The Plurinational State of Bolivia recently declared a National Health Emergency in response to a measles outbreak in ten communities.

The government reported on June 25, 2025, that Health Minister Maria Renee Castro highlighted the severity of measles, describing it as a highly contagious viral infection that can lead to severe complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis, and even death, particularly among malnourished or immunocompromised children.

"The most affected group is children under 10 years old; therefore, we declared Red Alert in Santa Cruz and enabled vaccination centers in 24-hour health facilities in all 56 municipalities until weekends,"

She stressed, "It is essential that parents get their children vaccinated. The country has 500,000 doses, specifically for girls and boys."

As of June 26, 2025, the U.S. CDC has included Bolivia in its recent measles and yellow fever Travel Health Advisories, recommending that travelers speak with a travel vaccine expert before visiting Bolivia.

These travel alerts are essential, as about 1 million people visited Bolivia last year. 

Sante Publique France reported today that a total of eight locally acquired cases of chikungunya have been confirmed in southern France since late May 2025. 

Cases in France's mainland were reported in Occitane (Hérault and Gard), Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (Var and Bouches-du-Rhône), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (Drôme), and on the island of Corse (Corse-du-Sud).

Although declining as of June 25, 2025, the number of chikungunya cases that have traveled to Réunion and the Indian Ocean remains high. It contributes to the early appearance of indigenous transmission.

Additionally, 645 imported cases of chikungunya have been reported over the past nine weeks.

The government says, 'This number of episodes has never been observed in France before.'

Public Health France reiterates the importance of protective measures against mosquito bites, the control of larval breeding sites, and the use of protective vaccination, if appropriate.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) today issued updated travel advice for visiting the Kingdom of Thailand.

On June 24, 2025, the FCDO posted new information about the temporary suspension of border crossings due to civial unrest.

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of the south, near the Thailand-Malaysia border, such as Pattani Province, Yala Province, Narathiwat Province, and southern Songkhla Province, south of the A43 road between Hat Yai and Sakom, and south of the train line which runs between Hat Yai and Padang Besar.

Additionally, the FCDO advises against all but essential travel on the Hat Yai to Padang Besar train line, which runs through these provinces.

This advisory may impact Thailand's international tourist arrivals, which reached about 35 million in 2024.

From a health advisory perspective, the U.S. CDC previously issued disease outbreak warnings and vaccination recommendations regarding chikungunya, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, measles, rabies, and typhoid.

On June 13, 2025, the CDC advised prospective visitors to Thailand to consult with a travel vaccine expert about immunization options.