Travel Vaccine News

As vacationers head south to avoid the cold and snow, many consider visiting Florida instead of Mexico this Spring Break. This change in the destination is based on recent travel alerts issued by local governments.
The Public Health Agency of Canada and the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico recently announced new advice for Spring Break 2023.
Both Canada and the U.S. are advising prospective visitors to many areas in Mexico to practice enhanced precautions as of March 17, 2023.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) today announced it had received notification of the detection of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) linked with the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) in the African countries of Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
These are the first instances of cVDPV2 linked with nOPV2 since the roll-out of the vaccine began in March 2021.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) today published an Epidemiological Alert regarding chikungunya outbreaks in the Region of the Americas. The PAHO confirmed this mosquito-borne virus is expanding to new areas with an unusually high number of cases and related fatalities.
During the first eight epidemiological weeks of 2023, 115,539 cases and 33 fatalities due to chikungunya infection were reported.
The greatest incidence rates were observed in Paraguay (1,128 cases per 100,000 pop.) and Brazil (14.2 cases per 100,000 pop.).

The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced a ten-day Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) vaccination campaign was launched in northwest Syria.
The WHO confirmed on March 8, 2023, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), in coordination with health authorities, the Syria Immunization Group (SIG), and the Global Alliance for Vaccines (GAVI), kicked off this campaign with 1.7 million doses of cholera vaccine that will be used to protect Syrians above one year of age.

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently announced two indications the travel industry has recovered from the multi-year pandemic.
On March 3, 2023, the TSA PreCheck® application program surpassed 15 million active members, setting a new record that began in December 2013.
Thirty-two million travelers now benefit from TSA PreCheck expedited airport security screening after being vetted through TSA PreCheck ®, U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Global Entry, or another federal vetting program.

Since the measles outbreak began in October 2022, various Republic of South Africa (RSA) provinces have been impacted. However, recent data announced by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases indicates most new measles cases are confirmed in the north.
As of March 2023, a measles outbreak has been declared in the Northern Cape Province in the Francis Baard district.
Specifically, 13 specimens from Limpopo and North West Province had measles virus genotype D8 sequences related to the Zimbabwe 2022 measles outbreak strain.

Traveling through an airport security checkpoint in the U.S. with a pet can be easy when travelers know what to expect, says the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
However, never place a pet in the X-ray tunnel.
The X-ray at the security checkpoint only screens passengers' personal property and carry-on luggage.
"Pets often travel with their humans and are thought of like family members," says Scott T. Johnson, TSA Federal Security Director for the airport, in a media statement on February 24, 2023.

African heads of state recently agreed on key measures to revamp routine immunization across the continent following massive disruptions by the pandemic that stymied childhood vaccination programs.
These vaccination disruptions heightened outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Currently, vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks are ongoing in 31 African countries, with 17 having more than one vaccine-preventable disease outbreak.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently joined other health agencies in confirming an outbreak of chikungunya disease in the Asunción metropolitan area in Paraguay.
On February 22, 2023, the CDC issued a Watch – Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions notice saying travelers to these areas in Paraguay should seek medical care if they develop fever, joint pain, headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash. 
The word 'chikungunya' means 'that which bends up,' an allusion to the posture of the suffering patients.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently confirmed it is prepared for the increase in air travelers and offers a few travel tips for the most efficient checkpoint experience this spring.
TSA anticipates that its Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) will screen increasing numbers of passengers at airport checkpoints as travel volumes may exceed pre-pandemic levels.
As of February 19, 2023, the TSA reported security checkpoint activity is on par with pre-pandemic 2019.