Vaccine News

Following the confirmation of an outbreak of Sudan virus disease in the Republic of Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced it is mobilizing efforts to support the national health authorities in containing a potential outbreak in Kampala.

The identification of the case in a densely populated urban requires a rapid and intense response, says the WHO.

As of January 30, 2025, a nurse from Mulago National Referral Hospital in the capital, Kampala, a city with about 1.8 million residents, has been reported with this disease.

A total of 45 contacts, including health workers and family members of the confirmed case (deceased), have been identified and are currently under close monitoring. No other health workers or patients have shown symptoms of the disease.

“We welcome the prompt declaration of this outbreak, and as a comprehensive response is being established, we are supporting the government and partners to scale up measures to quickly identify cases, isolate and provide care, curb the spread of the virus, and protect the population,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, in a press release.

Eight previous outbreaks of the Sudan virus disease have occurred, five in Uganda and three in Sudan. Uganda last reported an outbreak in 2022.

Sudan virus disease is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates. It is caused by Orthoebolavirus Sudanese (Sudan virus), a viral species belonging to the same genus as the virus that causes Ebola virus disease. 

Case fatality rates of Sudan virus disease have varied from 41% to 100% in past outbreaks.

While no licensed vaccines for the Sudan virus disease exist, the WHO coordinates with developers to deploy candidate vaccines and other public health measures.

The WHO stated that experimental vaccines would be deployed once all administrative and regulatory approvals were obtained.

As vacationers plan their winter 2025 holiday trip to Florida's beautiful beaches to enjoy the warm weather, taking steps to prevent mosquito bites remains essential. In Florida, 14 species of Anopheles mosquitoes have been found to transmit diseases to humans.

As of early January 2025, mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue fever, have been reported again in Florida.

The Florida Department of Health (FDH) updated its Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Surveillance Report on January 25, 2025, confirming twenty-two cases of dengue were reported among persons who had international travel, and one locally acquired dengue case was reported.

Last year, 999 travel-associated dengue cases were reported, mainly among Brazil, Cuba (567), and Puerto Rico visitors.

Furthermore, 91 locally acquired dengue cases were reported from ten counties in 2024, led by Miami-Dade (50).

While dengue preventive vaccines remain unavailable in the United States, FDH and the U.S. CDC encourage all visitors to dengue-endemic areas to avoid mosquito bites. This CDC advice is particularly relevant for pregnant women, as the dengue virus has been detected in unborn infants. 

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) today announced a confirmed case of influenza A(H5N1) in a person in the West Midlands region of Enhland.

The person acquired the infection on a farm, where they had close and prolonged contact with many infected birds. The birds were infected with the DI.2 genotype, one of the viruses circulating in birds in the UK this season.

As of January 27, 2025, the individual was admitted to a High Consequence Infectious Disease unit.

Despite extensive recent surveillance, no human-to-human transmission has been demonstrated. Therefore, the UKHSA has been tracing all individuals in contact with the confirmed case of avian influenza. 

The first confirmed human case of A(H5N1) in England was in January 2022.

The UKHSA says the risk to the broader public remains very low in late January 2025.

In a press release, Minister for Public Health and Prevention Andrew Gwynne commented, "We recently added the H5 vaccine, which protects (people) against avian influenza, to our stockpile as part of our preparedness plans."

This person was infected with a different H5N1 strain circulating among mammals and birds in the United States.

The U.S. government has invested in avian influenza vaccines for people in the past few years.

The Florida Health Department recently confirmed a record number of Vibrio vulnificus (V. vibrio) cases and deaths in 2024. While infections are rare, this increase was related to hurricanes in the year's second half.

As of January 3, 2025, Florida reported 83 V. vibrio cases and 18 deaths last year. Pinellas County (Tampa Bay) led all counties with 15 cases and three deaths.

In 2023, there were 46 cases and 11 related deaths.

About 80,000 cases of vibriosis happen each year in the United States.

Vibrio is a naturally occurring bacterium in warm seawater. Brackish water is a mixture of salt and fresh water often found where rivers meet the ocean. People can get vibriosis after swallowing Vibrio or getting it in a wound.

Florida and the U.S. CDC recommend not to enter the salt water if you have fresh cuts or scrapes.

Furthermore, there are no protective V. vibrio vaccines available in 2025.

However, various travel vaccines are available to protect people when visiting Florida.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) recently published recommended actions for response regarding respiratory viruses and preventive vaccines during the 2025 winter season.

On January 24, 2025, the ECDC stated that primary and secondary care consultation rates have increased in several countries recently and that significant respiratory virus activity is occurring in Europe.

Seasonal influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemics are ongoing.

All indicators point to widespread high influenza activity in the EU/EEA, albeit some countries are now observing slightly decreasing trends in test positivity following a peak in transmission.

In recent weeks, RSV activity decreased overall at the EU/EEA level, although the country-level picture remains mixed.

The ECDC says 'vaccination is the most effective measure to protect against more severe forms of viral respiratory diseases. Those eligible for vaccination, particularly those at higher risk of severe outcomes, are encouraged to get vaccinated.'

According to Stattista, Europe accounts for over half of international tourist arrivals worldwide, with inbound arrivals exceeding 700 million in 2023.

As of January 26, 2025, the U.S. CDC and the ECDC encourage international travelers to be updated on travel vaccines relevant to their pending trip abroad.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently issued an Alert that waives any and all requirements that applicants for adjustment of status to that of a lawful permanent resident present documentation on their Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, that they received the COVID-19 vaccination.

Effective January 22, 2025, the USCIS will not issue any Request for Evidence or Notice of Intent to Deny related to proving a COVID-19 vaccination. This U.S. policy has been in place since October 2021.

Furthermore, the USCIS updated policy will not deny any adjustment of status application based on the applicant's failure to present documentation that they received the COVID-19 vaccination.

However, applications must show proof of standard vaccinations for other vaccine-preventable diseases, such as polio and measles, recommended by the U.S. CDC's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices.

As of January 25, 2025, updated vaccine passport information is posted by Vax-Before-Travel News.

Following a disheartening 2024, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan recently reported three new wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) patients.

As of January 22, 2025, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) confirmed that these WPV1 cases were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.

Last year, 73 WPV1 patients were confirmed. 

Of these, 27 were from Balochistan, 22 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 22 from Sindh, and one from Punjab and Islamabad.

Pakistan's National Emergency Operations Centre recently wrote, 'Considering the intense polio outbreak, parents must ensure vaccination for all their children under five to protect them.'

Polio remains a vaccine-preventable but paralyzing disease that has no cure.

There are three serotypes of wild poliovirus. Immunity to one serotype does not confer immunity to the other two.

Type 2 wild poliovirus was declared eradicated in 2015, and type 3 was declared eradicated in 2019. Only type 1 wild poliovirus remains in 2025.

In late December 2024, the GPEI wrote, 'This resurgence of the virus underscores that there is no room for error in an eradication program. To stop wild poliovirus in its last frontier of Pakistan and Afghanistan, the program is working to strengthen cross-border coordination and deliver a broader range of health interventions alongside polio vaccines.'

In 2023, Pakistan reported over 900,000 visitors, a new record for international tourist arrivals.

To alert international travelers of this health risk, the U.S. CDC reissued a Global Polio Travel Health Advisory on January 14, 2025. The CDC says adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series before traveling to any destination listed may receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine.

In the U.S., polio vaccines are offered at travel clinics and pharmacies in 2025.