Vaccine News

Local media reported that Bahamian Health Minister Michel Darville announced that The Bahamas is preparing to cancel its contracts with Cuban health professionals.

According to Reuters on June 16, 2025, the reason for the cancellation is that negotiations are underway with the US government.

The NGO Archivo Cuba has reported that Cuban specialist medical advisors in the Bahamas were paid $12,000 per month, while biomedical engineers received $$5,000. 

As of June 16, 2025, the U.S. CDC says 'check the vaccines, such as measles or typhoid, and medicines list, and visit your doctor at least a month before your trip to The Bahamas. 

Previously, the U.S. and Canadian governments issued travel advisories regarding jet ski activities in the Bahamas. 

The Holy Father today urged all young people to participate in the great Jubilee event, dedicated specially to them, as it will be a unique and unforgettable week of celebration, spirituality, reconciliation, and sharing.

On June 15, 2025, Pope Leo XIV addressed a large gathering of children, young people, and adults who had come to Rome for the Jubilee of Sport.

This year's Jubilee will take place from July 28 to August 3, 2025, in Rome, Italy.

Following the first Jubilee of 1300, Pope Boniface VIII established the frequency of Jubilee celebrations as every 100 years. Following a plea from the people of Rome to Pope Clement VI, the frequency was reduced to every 50 years.

After the annexation of Rome to the Kingdom of Italy, the Jubilees were resumed in 1875.

According to the European CDC, no infectious disease events of relevance to the EU/EEA were detected during the Jubilee from June 9 to June 13, 2025.

The ECDC states that the probability of EU/EEA citizens contracting communicable diseases during the Jubilee 2025 is low if general preventive measures are implemented.

According to today's Travel Health Advisory issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), circulating poliovirus is a risk in 41 countries.

On June 16, 2025, the CDC reissued its Level 2 - Practice Enhanced Precautions alert for countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean, and the western Pacific.

Last week, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative confirmed six countries had reported cases of wild poliovirus type 1.

The CDC stated that before traveling to any destination listed, including Indonesia, the UK, and Spain, adults who have previously completed the routine polio vaccine series may receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine.

Furthermore, children should be fully protected against this severe disease before traveling abroad.

In the United States, the IPV polio vaccine is offered at health clinics and pharmacies.

The latest data published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows an increase in travel-associated enteric fever cases, specifically typhoid and paratyphoid fever, serious but preventable illnesses caused by Salmonella bacteria.

In 2024, there were 702 reported cases in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, representing an 8% rise from the 645 cases recorded in 2023.

This number marks the highest annual total of cases ever.

In the UK, most cases of enteric fever are contracted abroad, particularly in regions with poor hygiene and sanitation. Previous surveillance has indicated a troubling increase in antibiotic-resistant typhoid strains in Pakistan, which diminishes the effectiveness of commonly used antibiotics and complicates treatment.

As of June 14, 2025, a free typhoid vaccination is available in the UK for some travelers; however, there is currently no vaccine for paratyphoid fever.

The UK's Travel Health Pro website says, 'Ideally, travellers should consult their GP, practice nurse, pharmacist, or travel clinic at least 4 to 6 weeks before their trip for individual advice, travel vaccines, if relevant for their destination.

In the United States, the CDC estimates that 5,700 of cases of typhoid fever occur in the United States each year. Almost all cases occur among international travelers returning from South Asia, primarily Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.

The CDC says vaccination can help prevent typhoid fever. Two typhoid vaccines are available in the United States: an oral vaccine and an injectable vaccine.

Bavarian Nordic's Vivotif® (Ty21a) is the only oral typhoid vaccine licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Find out if you need a typhoid vaccine at www.cdc.gov/travel. Or visit a local travel vaccine clinic or pharmacy.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has recently published its monthly update on measles cases in England, which shows that outbreaks are continuing, with 109 cases confirmed in April and 86 so far in May 2025.

Since January 2025, the UKHSA has reported 420 laboratory-confirmed cases of measles in England.

As of June 6, 2025, 39% (162 of 420) of these cases have been in London, 14% in the South West, and 14% in the East of England.

Last year, there were 2,911 laboratory-confirmed measles cases in England, the highest number of cases recorded annually since 2012. The 2024 outbreak was initially reported in Birmingham but was soon overtaken by a large outbreak in London.

Dr. Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England, stated in a media release, "Too many babies and young children are still not protected against the diseases, which are contagious infections that spread very easily and can cause serious health problems."

"MMR jabs are provided free as part of the NHS routine immunisation programme – and I would encourage all parents to act on invites or check vaccination records if they think they may have missed their child's vaccination."

In England, the decline of the uptake of childhood vaccinations, including MMR, in the past decade (below the WHO 95% vaccination target) means thousands of children are left unprotected.

London has the lowest MMR uptake rates compared with other English regions (MMR2 uptake at 5 years is just 73.3% in London compared to the English average of 83.9%).

To warn visitors to England of this health risk, the U.S. CDC included numerous areas of the United Kingdom in its May 28, 2025, Level 1, Global Travel Advisory.

The CDC recommends prospective visitors to England speak with a travel vaccine expert one month before departure to ensure maximum protection can be achieved.

One of North America's favorite vacation destinations, located just 193 miles east of South Florida, accessible by boat or plane, has been informed by Canada to 'Exercise a high degree of caution.'

On June 3, 2025, Canada affirmed that the Commonwealth of The Bahamas is experiencing a high level of civil unrest, especially in Nassau and Freeport.

The Bahamas is an island country located in the Atlantic Ocean, welcoming approximately 11 million visitors in 2024, many of whom came from Canada and the United States.

Amongst the various warnings, Canada states that the water sports rental industry in the Bahamas is poorly regulated, and reputable operators are limited. Boating accidents occur frequently, particularly on jet skis.

Canada offers the following advice to vacationers: Only rent water sports equipment from reputable, registered operators. Ensure that proper training is provided before using the equipment, and verify that beach and aquatic equipment is safe and in good condition.

The U.S. State Department has also issued a Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution travel advisory for The Bahamas.

Similar to Canada, the U.S. Embassy in Nassau issued a Security Alert on April 9, 2025, advising U.S. citizens of the risks associated with renting jet skis in The Bahamas.

The Embassy wrote, Nassau jet ski operators have raped and sexually assaulted two U.S. citizen women in 2025, and three rapes were reported in 2024.

Women victims reported that male jet ski operators picked them up from downtown Nassau and Paradise Island beaches. This includes the area from Junkanoo Beach to Saunders Beach and Cabbage Beach.

The victims said they were raped and assaulted on isolated islands near New Providence.

Furthermore, due to security risks, U.S. government employees working in The Bahamas are prohibited from renting and using jet skis on New Providence and the Paradise Islands.

From a health perspective, mosquito-transmitted disease reporting from The Bahamas appears lacking.

While the entire Region of the Americas, including the Caribbean countries, set records for Dengue virus infections in 2024, The Bahamas didn't report any cases. Nor has it reported any in 2025.

Which leads to questions about the number of Chikungunya, Malaria, and Zika infections vacationers experience following a Bahamas vacation.

However, the U.S. CDC did include The Bahamas in a recent measles outbreak alert.

Therefore, when scheduling a quick trip to enjoy the warm waters of the Caribbean in June 2025, vacationers should heed the advice from these government agencies and exercise caution. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced that the Republic of Sudan's Khartoum State is facing an infrastructure breakdown and severe constraints on access to healthcare.

Since May 2025, there has been a rapid increase in cholera cases in Khartoum State, with over 16,000 cumulative cases and 239 deaths reported.

Effective as of June 10, 2025, a 10-day reactive oral cholera vaccination (OCV) campaign was launched in five localities to protect more than 2.6 million people aged 1 year and above from cholera infection, interrupt transmission, and help contain the ongoing cholera outbreak.

WHO Representative in Sudan, Dr Shible Sahbani, commented in a press release, "The vaccines will help stop cholera in its tracks as we strengthen other response interventions."

Khartoum is the capital city of Sudan, with over 7 million residents, located adjacent to the Nile rivers.

The WHO's Global Cholera and Acute Watery Diarrhoea Dashboard was updated in June 2025, indicating that over 224,000 cholera cases and 2,800 related fatalities were reported from 26 countries this year.

Cholera is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by consuming food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It poses a global threat to public health.

As of June 12, 2025, OCV remains in limited supply worldwide, except for the United States.