Vaccine News

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.

With great anticipation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today posted an updated draft agenda for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting schedule for June 25-26, 2025.

The new agenda included ACIP votes on topics such as Influenza Vaccines, Thimerosal-containing influenza vaccine recommendations, respiratory syncytial virus vaccines for maternal and pediatric use, and the Vaccines for Children program.

As of June 23, 2025, the public is invited to attend this ACIP meeting digitally and, if selected, to ask questions.

The ACIP usually holds three regular meetings each year to review scientific data and vote on recommendations, which are presented to the CDC Director for approval.

Previous ACIP meeting agendas and votes can be found at this CDC link.

Bats play a vital role in the world's ecosystem, but in the United States, they are the most commonly reported animals to have rabies.

In March 2025, a bat found in North Carolina tested positive for rabies, marking the second confirmed case in Person County this year.

While not all bats carry the rabies virus, be cautious when you see one, advises the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

However, it is essential to recognize the possible signs of rabies in bats. Unusual behaviors that could indicate that a bat has rabies include being active during the day, being inside a home or laying on the ground.

This advice is essential when watching bats fly at dusk, such as in Austin, Texas.

The CDC stated on June 11, 2025, that if you observe unusual bat behavior, contact your local animal control or public health department.

Furthermore, when traveling abroad, be aware of infected dogs, which are the primary source of 99% of rabies cases globally.

From a prevention perspective, the CDC says two types of vaccines protect people against rabies: nerve tissue and cell culture vaccines.

As of June 23, 2025, the CDC recommends rabies vaccination for individuals visiting high-risk areas. Bavarian Nordic's RabAvert® vaccine is offered at travel clinics and pharmacies, but it is only recommended for specific travelers.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published the 27th Emergency Situational Update regarding cholera outbreaks.

The WHO reported that from January 2025 to May 25 2025, a cumulative total of 211,678 cholera cases and 2,754 related fatalities were reported from 26 countries.

Three WHO regions, with the African Region recording the highest numbers, followed by the Eastern Mediterranean Region, and the South-East Asia Region.

In May 2025, the South-East Asia Region reported 257 new cholera cases from Myanmar.

Since cholera is a vaccine-preventable disease, the WHO recommends oral cholera vaccines (OCVs) for travelers visiting countries where outbreaks are occurring.

As of June 22, 2025, the WHO has prequalified Vaxchora®, Dukoral®, Shanchol™, Euvichol®, and Euvichol-S OCVs.

In January 2025, the WHO stated that OCV production had reached 6.2 million doses. However, as of May 2025, the OCV stockpile consisted of 5.7 million doses, which is below the minimum emergency threshold of five million.

The WHO says that, during the current cholera outbreak, only one OCV dose course has been implemented in reactive vaccination campaigns.

As of June 22, 2025, there are ample supplies of OCVs at travel clinics and pharmacies in the United States.

According to a recent World Health Organization report, the Western Pacific Region is facing significant dengue outbreaks for the second consecutive year. 

Since dengue is a vaccine-preventable disease, countries such as the Republic of Singapore are conducting clinical trials pursuing the use of a third-generation vaccine.

On June 18, 2025, MSD (Merck & Co.) announced the initiation of the MOBILIZE-1 Phase 3 clinical trial (V181-005) evaluating the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of a single dose of V181, a quadrivalent vaccine candiate, for the prevention of dengue disease caused by any of the four dengue virus serotypes, regardless of prior dengue exposure.

Recruitment for this late-stage trial has begun, and the first participants are now enrolling in Singapore.

The study is planned to include more than 30 trial sites in dengue-endemic areas in the Asia-Pacific region, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Dr. Abdullahi Sheriff, Managing Director, MSD in Singapore, Malaysia & Brunei, commented in a press release, “We are grateful to the scientific community in Singapore for their commitment to scientific excellence and partnership throughout this journey."

"Singapore and the surrounding countries in Southeast Asia are areas with a risk for dengue, making it a serious public health threat."

Throughout 2024 and during the first half of 2025, dengue cases and related fatalities have been reported in most countries in the Region of the Americas, including the United States. 

The global need for additional dengue vaccines is substantial. As of June 20, 2025, the second-generation QDENGA vaccine is in limited supply worldwide and is unavailable in the U.S.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently confirmed that many air travelers fail to realize that defying the crew's instructions not only puts everyone's safety at risk but also poses a significant liability for airlines.

IATA figures indicate an increase in the rate of reported unruly passenger incidents.

Based on over 24,500 incident reports from more than 50 operators globally, there was one incident for every 480 flights in 2023, compared to one incident for every 568 flights in 2022.

To address one aspect of these concerns, the Türkiye Cumhuriyeti issued a warning on May 6, 2025, stating that potential disciplinary action may be taken against airline passengers who stand up before the plane has come to a complete stop and the seatbelt sign has been turned off.

The "Passenger Announcements Circular" No. UOD - 2025/01 empowers Turkish Airlines, the country's flag carrier, to impose fines on violators of around $70 per violation.

In the United States, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responsible for ensuring the safety of air travel. 

As of June 19, 2025, TSA regulations are designed to protect passengers and airline staff by minimizing potential threats at airports and on flights.

The TSA's Secure Flight is a risk-based passenger prescreening program that enhances security by identifying low- and high-risk passengers before they arrive at the airport, matching their names against trusted traveler lists and watchlists.

The TSA has reported that in June 2025, over 2.6 million people flew an airplane each day in the U.S.