There's no better time to visit The Bahamas than during the winter of 2023, says The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. It offers a quick and easy way for travelers to escape their everyday.
As temperatures drop in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun keeps shining brightly on the archipelago with over 700 islands and cays.
Located only 50 miles off the east coast of Florida, the Berry Islands has expanded its arrival options for 2023.
Two things are required when visiting any of the 30 Cays in the Berry Islands: a boat and a love of water.
Visiting The Bahamas is Easier in 2023
Traveling Between Hong Kong and Mainland China Resumes Today
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) recently announced that with a consensus reached after deliberation and coordination with the Central Government, the Guangdong Provincial Government, and the Shenzhen Municipal Government, and upon obtaining approval from the Central Government, the normal travel of persons between Hong Kong and the Mainland will be resumed in an orderly manner on January 8, 2023.
China Confirms Another Bird Flu Case
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health recently announced it is closely monitoring a human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) on the Mainland.
The new case involves a 54-year-old man living in Changsha, Hunan. He was admitted for treatment on November 5, 2022, and was in critical condition.
Changsha is the 17th most populous city in China, with a population of about 10 million.
As of January 5, 2023, the CHP website says the Alert Response Level is activated under the Government's Preparedness Plan for Influenza Pandemic.
MIS-C Seems More Common, Severe Than Previously Thought
Racial disparities seen in outcomes, including more cases in Black children as organ dysfunction increases
VV116 Noninferior to Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir for COVID-19
Noninferiority established with respect to time to sustained clinical recovery for adults at high risk for progression
Racial/Ethnic Variation Seen in COVID-19 Vaccination Status in Children
Non-Hispanic Asian children and adolescents have the highest vaccination coverage, followed by Hispanic/Latino children
Canada Confirms Poliovirus Detected in Wastewater
The Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) recently confirmed Canada joined the United States, Israel, and the United Kingdom in detecting vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2) in wastewater samples in 2022.
The Canadian National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) retrospectively tested wastewater samples and found 3 of 26 samples tested positive for poliovirus by real-time PCR.
Poliovirus Detected in Canadian Wastewater
The Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) recently confirmed that Canada joined the United States, Israel, and the United Kingdom in detecting vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2) in wastewater samples in 2022.
The Canadian National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) retrospectively tested wastewater samples and found 3 of 26 samples tested positive for poliovirus by real-time PCR.
Yellow Fever Less Risky in Certain African Countries
The World Health Organization (WHO) African Region recently published some good and less than positive news regarding yellow fever.
On January 3, 2022, the WHO African Region published updated data that indicates the number of new yellow fever cases has steadily decreased.
From January 2021 to early December 2022, a total of 203 confirmed and 252 probable cases with 40 deaths (Case Fatality Ratio 9%) were reported, with a decline in new case reports throughout this period.
Single-Dose RSV Protection for Infants Under Review in U.S.
AstraZeneca today announced its Biologics License Application (BLA) for nirsevimab (Beyfortus®) had been accepted for review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract disease (LRTI) in newborns and infants entering or during their first RSV season.
And the BLA is for children up to 24 months of age who remain vulnerable to severe RSV disease through their second RSV season.