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Where is Cholera a Health Risk

In Travel Vaccine News by Travel Vaccine

Cholera pandemics have accelerated since mid-2021, according to a recent World Health Organization (WHO) statement that noted the pandemic’s “alarmingly high mortality rates.”
Cholera can be a life-threatening disease caused by bacteria called Vibrio cholerae. People get Cholera from unsafe food or water, says the WHO.

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WHO Turns 75 Years Young

In Travel Vaccine News by Travel Vaccine

The World Health Organization (WHO) marked its 75th anniversary by celebrating the public health successes that have significantly improved the quality of life.
April 7, 2023, also serves as a moment in time to redouble commitment to tackling the current and future health challenges confronting the region and steering it toward a brighter tomorrow.
On this day in 1948, the United Nations fulfilled its ambition to create a global health body to make the world safer and serve those most in need.

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Second Malaria Vaccine Authorized in Africa

In Travel Vaccine News by Travel Vaccine

The University of Oxford today announced the R21/Matrix-MTM malaria vaccine had been licensed for use in the Republic of Ghana by the local Food and Drugs Authority.
The R21/Matrix-M™ malaria vaccine was developed by the University of Oxford, leveraging an adjuvant technology from Novavax, and manufactured and scaled up by Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd (SIIPL).
SIIPL has already established manufacturing capacities of more than 200 million vaccine doses annually.

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Rotavirus Vaccines Do Reduce Diarrhea-related Illness

In Travel Vaccine News by Travel Vaccine

Before rotavirus vaccines became available in 1983, many children were infected by their fifth birthday, causing an estimated 500,000 deaths and two million hospitalizations worldwide annually.
Rotavirus vaccines and improved sanitation have dramatically reduced the toll of diarrhoeal illness in recent decades, but too many children still die from the dehydration it causes.
Linda Geddes with GAVI reported on March 30, 2023, routine immunization significantly reduced this toll in many countries.

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Nets Treated with Pyrethroid-Chlorfenapy Recommended During Malaria Outbreaks

In Travel Vaccine News by Travel Vaccine

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently updated its malaria policy guidelines to recommend using long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs)  treated with a combination of insecticides, which researchers say could be a game-changer in the global fight against the disease if managed effectively.
The WHO now recommends that malaria-endemic regions experiencing pyrethroid resistance switch to the more effective pyrethroid-chlorfenapyr nets.

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Polio Confirmed in Indigenous Peruvian Boy

In Travel Vaccine News by Travel Vaccine

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) recently confirmed 35 countries with poliovirus outbreaks. Unfortunately, these countries with outbreaks have eliminated indigenous wild poliovirus.
But, they are experiencing reinfection through importing wild or vaccine-derived poliovirus from another country or the emergence and circulation of vaccine-derived poliovirus, says the GPEI.

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1.9 million Children Receiving Yellow Fever Vaccination

In Travel Vaccine News by Travel Vaccine

The Ugandan Ministry of Health in Kampala recently announced it would soon vaccinate over 1.9 million children against yellow fever.
It is being administered to nine-month-old children as part of its commitment to the Eliminate Yellow fever Epidemics (EYE) Strategy. All these children will be vaccinated with yellow fever and measles-rubella vaccines.
This announcement on March 15, 2023, is essential as Uganda was one of 14 African countries reporting yellow fever cases in 2022. Recently, cases have been reported near urban areas, such as the capital city of Kampala.

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Cholera Risks Remains Very High for Travelers

In Travel Vaccine News by Travel Vaccine

The World Health Organization (WHO) today reported the global cholera situation has deteriorated, with four new countries reporting outbreaks.
In total, 24 countries are reporting cases as of March 20, 2023.
Since the beginning of 2023, cholera outbreaks have spread further in southeast Africa.
And the widespread outbreaks in Malawi and Mozambique remain active.
Additional outbreaks have been reported in Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia since the start of the year.

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Fatal Marburg Disease Outbreak Confirmed in Tanzania

In Travel Vaccine News by Travel Vaccine

The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced the Republic of Tanzania had confirmed its first-ever cases of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) following reports of cases and deaths in the country’s north-west Kagera region.
Five of the eight cases, including a health worker, have died, and the remaining three are receiving treatment.
A total of 161 contacts have been identified and are being monitored as of March 21, 2023.

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Are Face Masks Needed at Sweet Sixteen Games?

In Travel Vaccine News by Travel Vaccine

As sixteen college basketball teams and fans prepare for playoff games this weekend, many ask if face masks are needed to be protected from the respiratory virus that causes COVID-19.
While there is much debate and research on the benefits of wearing face masks, a new surveillance system helps people visualize their actual risks.
Thanks to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a data-driven way to make informed infection-risk determinations is now open to the public.