Vaccination remains one of the most cost-effective public health tools, but without sustained support, the gains achieved under the Immunization Agenda 2030 are at serious risk.
Global Progress Meets Budget Cuts
A report from WHO’s Department of Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals outlined major achievements and severe threats. While vaccines against HPV, malaria, and TB advance, many immunization programmes face reduced donor support and shrinking health budgets.
Measles control efforts are particularly under strain, with weakened surveillance and response capacities raising the risk of outbreaks. WHO reaffirmed its commitment to innovation, regional manufacturing, and partnerships to secure resilient immunization systems for the future.
Gavi’s Vision for the Future
Gavi previewed its 2026–2030 strategy (Gavi 6.0), focused on expanding new vaccines, strengthening national programmes, and reducing zero-dose children. Progress continues toward immunizing 86 million girls against HPV by 2025, with growing investments in malaria and polio vaccines.
Yet, Gavi also flagged vaccine supply constraints, especially amid the mpox emergency in Africa. Over 582,000 doses have been administered in DRC, underscoring the need for a sustainable vaccine stockpile.
Resurgence of Measles, Lagging Coverage
Regional updates showed rising zero-dose children in many areas, despite HPV vaccine scale-up in South-East Asia. Measles remains a serious threat where routine immunization has not recovered. The “Big Catch-Up” helped narrow gaps, but challenges remain.
New Vaccines and Smarter Strategies
SAGE reviewed updated evidence on pneumococcal, varicella, and herpes zoster vaccines, offering more flexibility in schedules. However, countries must weigh trade-offs when introducing newer, higher-valency vaccines and strengthen surveillance to guide decisions.
Mpox: Rising Again, Resources Thin
A renewed mpox emergency, declared in August 2024, is spreading across Africa. With supply constraints persisting, WHO and SAGE recommend flexible dosing and stress the need for preventive vaccination. Cuts to HIV programmes could further heighten mpox risks for vulnerable populations.
Polio: Eradication Still Elusive
Polio remains a challenge, with transmission continuing in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and vaccine-derived cases spreading, including in Europe. SAGE endorsed a revised IPV-based schedule of three doses but stressed full coverage is essential.
Looking Ahead: A Call for Global Commitment
SAGE concluded with a clear message: immunization is a major public health success, but without renewed commitment, we risk reversing the progress made. The world must act—urgently and together—to protect the next generation from preventable disease.
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A 2024 Unicef report found that 23% of South African children experience severe food poverty, eating less than two of the recommended five food groups per day. Unemployment, food insecurity, limited access to basic services and a lack of knowledge about nutrition all contribute to this. The lead researcher of this multidisciplinary study, Leila Patel, and collaborating researchers Matshidiso Sello and Sadiyya Haffejee suggest ways to tackle this dire situation.
What’s in place to protect children from poverty?
Since a call for prioritising the needs of children was adopted by the Mandela government in 1994, much progress has been made in expanding access to education, to immunisations, other primary healthcare services and social grants. Just over 13 million children now receive a child support grant. This has reduced child hunger rates from the high levels seen during the apartheid and immediate post-apartheid eras.
But the grant doesn’t get to all the children who qualify for it. Around 17.5% of eligible children still don’t receive it. Reasons include a lack of proper documentation, lack of awareness of eligibility criteria and insufficient outreach by government agencies to reach vulnerable populations.
Also, the grant isn’t close enough to the food poverty line, which is R796 (about US$43) per month per person based on the daily energy intake that a person needs. From 1 April 2025, the child support grant will increase to R560 (about US$30) per month per child.
Secondly, although school feeding schemes are in place, many children fall outside the net. Close to 10 million children in low income communities in South Africa have access to a school lunch via the National School Nutrition Programme. This programme is an excellent intervention which improves the health of children. However, in 2024, about a quarter of the children who are eligible did not receive school meals. Some of the reasons are procurement issues, funding delays, problems with provisioning, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, when school feeding ceased. Uptake has recovered to some extent but there is a need to improve the quality and effectiveness of the school feeding programme to improve nutritional outcomes.
You designed a system to help alleviate child poverty: what did it involve?
The South African Research Chairs Initiative and the Centre for Social Development in Africa at the University of Johannesburg implemented a study to strengthen social and care systems across health, education and social development. The project, which was started in 2020, involved tracking early grade learners and their caregivers in Johannesburg over a three-year period, looking at their health, material circumstances, food security, educational performance and mental health. Our research revealed a concerning picture of child hunger in Johannesburg, Africa’s wealthiest city.
The number of children in our study who went to bed hungry in the past week decreased from 13.7% in 2020 to 4.9% in 2022. Zero hunger was achieved in 2021 but it increased again in 2022 due to broader economic pressures like rising food prices and unemployment. While stunting rates showed a slight downward trend over the three years (from 13.5% in 2020 to 11.1% in 2022), we observed worrying increases in wasting, a severe form of malnutrition (from 5.6% in 2020 to 20.3% in 2022), and underweight (from 5.6% in 2020 to 11.4% in 2022).
Increases in wasting may be due to the COVID-19 pandemic and slow economic recovery. Nevertheless, the fluctuating figures underscore the complex interplay of factors contributing to severe child hunger.
The teams who worked on the project – called the Community of Practice intervention – set about creating a tighter, more supportive net around children experiencing severe and moderate risk. This integrated approach brought together government agencies, NGOs, schools, social workers, families and community leaders, to build sustainable solutions for child wellbeing.
The focus was on strengthening existing systems and fostering collaboration to ensure that children’s needs were identified and addressed effectively. On average, 157 children were reached each year over a three year period.
Several promising practices emerged from the collaborations, demonstrating the potential for positive change. These included:
Strengthening school nutrition programmes by improving the quality and consistency of meals received and providing nutrition education through radio and WhatsApp messaging. More children had access to school meals.
Tailored interventions: The team conducted screenings to assess the needs of children and their families. Children requiring specific interventions were referred to appropriate services such as child protection services and grants. Caregivers facing mental health challenges were connected to psychosocial support services, and families experiencing hunger were provided with food parcels by NGOs. Providing food top-ups for children resulted in zero hunger in the second year of the pandemic.
The number of children experiencing learning and social and emotional difficulties decreased between 2020 and 2022. Access to food and nutrition improved, higher vaccination rates were achieved and caregivers were more responsive to their health needs.
What does this tell you about what needs to change?
A significant barrier in addressing severe child poverty is the fragmentation of services across the Departments of Health, Basic Education and Social Development. Since the departments run standalone programmes, the synergies between the different social systems are not optimised. Children and their families who need additional support are often referred to the appropriate services, but there is poor follow-up.
The Integrated School Health Policy of 2012 makes provision for better coordination between these departments. But implementation has been uneven and poor in some instances. Improving and strengthening these inter-connected social systems of service provision across government departments is critical to improving child food poverty outcomes.
While managing food inflation, economic growth, job creation, and reduced inequality are important longer-term goals, immediate interventions are essential to address severe child food poverty. Failure to do so will compromise school progression and delay their overall health and social wellbeing. Simply improving economic indicators will not automatically translate to food on the table for every child; targeted interventions are vital.
Ending severe child hunger in South Africa demands a comprehensive and coordinated response, involving government, NGOs, community organisations, schools, and families themselves.
Leila Patel receives funding from the National Research Foundation for the Communities of Practice (CoP) study for social systems strengthening for better child wellbeing outcomes.
Matshidiso Valeria Sello receives funding from the Centre of Excellence in Human Development for a project on Household Economic Shocks.
Sadiyya Haffejee receives funding from the National Research Foundation.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Leila Patel, Professor of Social Development Studies, University of Johannesburg
A 2024 Unicef report found that 23% of South African children experience severe food poverty, eating less than two of the recommended five food groups per day. Unemployment, food insecurity, limited access to basic services and a lack of knowledge about nutrition all contribute to this. The lead researcher of this multidisciplinary study, Leila Patel, and collaborating researchers Matshidiso Sello and Sadiyya Haffejee suggest ways to tackle this dire situation.
What’s in place to protect children from poverty?
Since a call for prioritising the needs of children was adopted by the Mandela government in 1994, much progress has been made in expanding access to education, to immunisations, other primary healthcare services and social grants. Just over 13 million children now receive a child support grant. This has reduced child hunger rates from the high levels seen during the apartheid and immediate post-apartheid eras.
But the grant doesn’t get to all the children who qualify for it. Around 17.5% of eligible children still don’t receive it. Reasons include a lack of proper documentation, lack of awareness of eligibility criteria and insufficient outreach by government agencies to reach vulnerable populations.
Also, the grant isn’t close enough to the food poverty line, which is R796 (about US$43) per month per person based on the daily energy intake that a person needs. From 1 April 2025, the child support grant will increase to R560 (about US$30) per month per child.
Secondly, although school feeding schemes are in place, many children fall outside the net. Close to 10 million children in low income communities in South Africa have access to a school lunch via the National School Nutrition Programme. This programme is an excellent intervention which improves the health of children. However, in 2024, about a quarter of the children who are eligible did not receive school meals. Some of the reasons are procurement issues, funding delays, problems with provisioning, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, when school feeding ceased. Uptake has recovered to some extent but there is a need to improve the quality and effectiveness of the school feeding programme to improve nutritional outcomes.
You designed a system to help alleviate child poverty: what did it involve?
The South African Research Chairs Initiative and the Centre for Social Development in Africa at the University of Johannesburg implemented a study to strengthen social and care systems across health, education and social development. The project, which was started in 2020, involved tracking early grade learners and their caregivers in Johannesburg over a three-year period, looking at their health, material circumstances, food security, educational performance and mental health. Our research revealed a concerning picture of child hunger in Johannesburg, Africa’s wealthiest city.
The number of children in our study who went to bed hungry in the past week decreased from 13.7% in 2020 to 4.9% in 2022. Zero hunger was achieved in 2021 but it increased again in 2022 due to broader economic pressures like rising food prices and unemployment. While stunting rates showed a slight downward trend over the three years (from 13.5% in 2020 to 11.1% in 2022), we observed worrying increases in wasting, a severe form of malnutrition (from 5.6% in 2020 to 20.3% in 2022), and underweight (from 5.6% in 2020 to 11.4% in 2022).
Increases in wasting may be due to the COVID-19 pandemic and slow economic recovery. Nevertheless, the fluctuating figures underscore the complex interplay of factors contributing to severe child hunger.
The teams who worked on the project – called the Community of Practice intervention – set about creating a tighter, more supportive net around children experiencing severe and moderate risk. This integrated approach brought together government agencies, NGOs, schools, social workers, families and community leaders, to build sustainable solutions for child wellbeing.
The focus was on strengthening existing systems and fostering collaboration to ensure that children’s needs were identified and addressed effectively. On average, 157 children were reached each year over a three year period.
Several promising practices emerged from the collaborations, demonstrating the potential for positive change. These included:
Strengthening school nutrition programmes by improving the quality and consistency of meals received and providing nutrition education through radio and WhatsApp messaging. More children had access to school meals.
Tailored interventions: The team conducted screenings to assess the needs of children and their families. Children requiring specific interventions were referred to appropriate services such as child protection services and grants. Caregivers facing mental health challenges were connected to psychosocial support services, and families experiencing hunger were provided with food parcels by NGOs. Providing food top-ups for children resulted in zero hunger in the second year of the pandemic.
The number of children experiencing learning and social and emotional difficulties decreased between 2020 and 2022. Access to food and nutrition improved, higher vaccination rates were achieved and caregivers were more responsive to their health needs.
What does this tell you about what needs to change?
A significant barrier in addressing severe child poverty is the fragmentation of services across the Departments of Health, Basic Education and Social Development. Since the departments run standalone programmes, the synergies between the different social systems are not optimised. Children and their families who need additional support are often referred to the appropriate services, but there is poor follow-up.
The Integrated School Health Policy of 2012 makes provision for better coordination between these departments. But implementation has been uneven and poor in some instances. Improving and strengthening these inter-connected social systems of service provision across government departments is critical to improving child food poverty outcomes.
While managing food inflation, economic growth, job creation, and reduced inequality are important longer-term goals, immediate interventions are essential to address severe child food poverty. Failure to do so will compromise school progression and delay their overall health and social wellbeing. Simply improving economic indicators will not automatically translate to food on the table for every child; targeted interventions are vital.
Ending severe child hunger in South Africa demands a comprehensive and coordinated response, involving government, NGOs, community organisations, schools, and families themselves.
– 23% of South Africa’s children suffer from severe hunger: we tested some solutions – experts – https://theconversation.com/23-of-south-africas-children-suffer-from-severe-hunger-we-tested-some-solutions-experts-252566
Sharply declining aid could force tens of millions across the globe who rely on food aid into extreme hunger and starvation, the World Food Program (WFP) warned on Friday.
The United Nations agency has received only $1.57 billion of the $21.1 billion required to sustain its operations this year, with donations slashed by 40 per cent after cuts from major donors like the United States.
“WFP is prioritizing countries with the greatest needs and stretching food rations at the frontlines. While we are doing everything possible to reduce operational costs, make no mistake, we are facing a funding cliff with life-threatening consequences,” said Rania Dagash-Kamara, WFP Assistant Executive Director for Partnerships and Innovation.
“Emergency feeding programmes not only save lives and alleviate human suffering – they bring greatly needed stability to fragile communities, which can spiral downwards when faced with extreme hunger.”
The drastic reductions are threatening the organization’s global programs in 28 regions, including Gaza, Sudan, Syria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Bracing for the rainy season
With the rainy season looming in fighting-stricken South Sudan, two-thirds of its estimated 12.7 million people facing acute food insecurity could go even hungrier.
WFP delivers food and nutrition aid to 2.3 million people in the east African country who have escaped war, extreme climate events, and economic downturn. More than one million people have fled to the impoverished nation from neighboring Sudan.
Outbreaks surging
Meanwhile, shortages in medical supplies are likely to worsen the crisis in conflict-torn eastern DRC, with the public health system on the brink of collapse and spikes in viral outbreaks, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday.
After recent clashes in Walikale, in the western part of the city of Goma, nearly 700 people are seeking treatment in a hospital, but funding cuts, disease outbreaks and blocked aid are hampering their access to healthcare.
“There is no possibility for access – no partner, nobody can really join that place,” said Dr. Thierno Baldé, WHO Incident Manager for Eastern DRC.
Some 2,000 people have already died, Dr. Baldé stressed, adding that the crisis is also affecting neighboring countries such as Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania.
One in 10 infected people is currently dying of cholera in a major outbreak near the Congolese border with Burundi, he said.
The region is seeing a surge in outbreaks of infectious diseases, including cholera and mpox, and the dire humanitarian situation is driving spikes in mortality rates, Dr. Baldé reported.
A drop in the ocean
Emergency medical teams are “doing the best they can”, mobilizing local people for additional support in providing care. The World Health Organization was recently able to ship 20 tons of medical supplies on roads all the way from Uganda over Kenya and Tanzania into Goma, providing some relief, but as Mr. Baldé highlighted, all of this was just a “drop in the ocean” in the country where 50 million people are affected by the crisis.
Vaccines out of stock
Funding cuts in humanitarian aid directly threaten half of the 4 million people living in North Kivu. “Vaccines for routine immunization are almost out of stock in Goma,” Mr. Baldé warned.
In the imminent danger of vaccines running out, Ms. Margaret Harris, spokesperson for the World Health Organization added, that this concerns the whole world.
“Infectious diseases don’t care about borders; they don’t care about elections and governments. If you don’t vaccinate everywhere, you’re going to be affected everywhere,” she said.
Amidst the US government announcing to suspend financing the Alliance for Vaccine (GAVI), a driving force in providing children vaccinations in poor countries, a out that an estimated 154 million lives have been saved over the past 50 years thanks to global immunization drives. “It’s madness not to invest in vaccination,” she concluded.
Refugees at risk
Providing further proof of the health threats caused by funding cuts, Allen Maina, Public Health Chief of the UN Refugee agency (UNHCR) stated, that nearly 13 million displaced people, including six million children are “at risk of not being able to access lifesaving health and nutrition care.”
Echoing that infectious diseases such as cholera, hepatitis, malaria are more likely to break out, Mr. Maina stressed that the problem doesn’t only stem from“overwhelmed hospitals and health systems”, but also in disrupted water supply systems, sanitation facilities and waste management.
“This situation is devastating, but it’s coming on top of longstanding shortfalls in humanitarian assistance,” Mr. Maina reminded, highlighting that in Ethiopia’s Gambela region, operations in four out of seven refugee sites have recently been closed due to the funding cuts. “99 severely malnourished children had to be discharged immediately because programs had to close”, he said, maintaining that for 980 acutely malnourished children, there were only two staff members available.
“We’re talking about people here. We talk about men and women. We talk about children, worried whether their parents will live to see another day, Mr. Maina stressed.
Headline: North Carolina Prepares for Measles Prevention Amid National Increase in Cases
North Carolina Prepares for Measles Prevention Amid National Increase in Cases jwerner
As measles cases continue to rise across the country, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is taking proactive steps to ensure the state remains prepared for any potential cases or outbreaks. While there have been no reported cases of measles in North Carolina so far in 2025, public health officials are urging residents, health care providers and child care centers to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves, their communities and those at highest risk, especially unvaccinated children.
“Although we currently have no cases of measles in North Carolina, the increase in cases across the nation and the world means we must be vigilant,” said Dr. Zack Moore, NCDHHS State Epidemiologist. “Vaccination is the best way to protect against measles. We encourage all North Carolinians to ensure they are up to date on their MMR vaccinations, and we are working with local health departments to ensure our state is prepared for any potential outbreaks.”
In the United States, measles cases surged from 59 cases in 2023 to 285 cases in 2024. As of March 27, 2025, a total of 483 confirmed measles cases were reported by 20 jurisdictions. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can lead to serious health complications, especially in babies and young children. The virus spreads through the air when an infected person talks, coughs or sneezes. The virus can also be spread by contact with contaminated surfaces or objects and can remain airborne for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. The virus can spread before and after the presence of symptoms, putting unvaccinated individuals at high risk.
The more infectious a virus is, the higher the percent of the population that needs to be vaccinated to prevent an outbreak. For measles, a population vaccination rate of at least 95% is needed to protect the community from an outbreak. The state’s measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination rate for kindergartners was 93.8% for the 2023-2024 school year, just below the 95% threshold, but vaccination rates are even lower in some counties and schools. For 2023-2024 school-specific coverage and exemption rates, please visit the North Carolina Kindergarten Immunization Data Dashboard.
Key Preparedness Measures for North Carolina:
Vaccination: NCDHHS strongly urges all residents to ensure they are up to date on the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. Children should receive the first dose of the vaccine at 12-15 months and the second dose at 4-6 years of age. Adults who have not been vaccinated or are unsure of their status should consult their health care provider. Please see the CDC’s measles FAQ and vaccinations page for more information.
Public Awareness: The state and local health departments are working closely with health care providers, schools and child care centers across the state to ensure that they are aware of the risks and prepared for potential cases of measles.
Guidance for Child Care Centers and Schools: NCDHHS encourages schools, childcare centers and community organizations to review vaccination records and ensure that all children and staff members are up to date with their vaccinations. Early identification and action are essential if an outbreak were to occur. For detailed vaccination recommendations, please refer to the NCDHHS measles webpage.
Preparedness and Monitoring: The state’s public health officials are closely monitoring trends in other states and globally. NCDHHS has issued guidance for health care providers to be on the lookout for measles symptoms and to immediately report suspected cases.
What Residents Can Do:
Ensure children and adults are vaccinated or have evidence of immunity to measles. For more information, visit the CDC Measles Vaccine Considerations page.
Be aware of measles symptoms, including fever; cough; runny nose; red, watery eyes; and a red rash that usually begins on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.
If you suspect you or your child may have been exposed to measles, call your health care provider immediately. Do not visit the doctor’s office or emergency room without notifying them in advance to prevent exposure to others.
If you are planning to travel internationally or to an area with a known outbreak domestically, tell your health care provider about your travel plans.
For more information on measles prevention and vaccination resources, visit the NCDHHS website and see the page dedicated to measles and measles prevention.
A medida que los casos de sarampión continúan aumentando en todo el país, el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte (NCDHHS, por sus siglas en inglés) está tomando medidas proactivas para garantizar que el estado permanezca preparado para cualquier posible caso o brote. Si bien no se han reportado casos de sarampión en Carolina del Norte hasta ahora en 2025, los funcionarios de salud pública urgen a los residentes, proveedores de atención médica y centros de cuidado infantil a tomar las precauciones necesarias para protegerse a sí mismos, a sus comunidades y a aquellos en mayor riesgo, especialmente a los niños no vacunados.
“Aunque actualmente no tenemos casos de sarampión en Carolina del Norte, el aumento de casos en todo el país y el mundo significa que debemos estar atentos”, dijo el Dr. Zack Moore, epidemiólogo estatal de NCDHHS. “La vacunación es la mejor manera de protegerse contra el sarampión. Alentamos a todos los habitantes de Carolina del Norte a asegurarse de que estén al día con sus vacunas contra el sarampion, papera y rubeola (MMR, pos sus siglas en ingles), y estamos trabajando con los departamentos de salud locales para asegurarnos de que nuestro estado esté preparado para cualquier posible brote”.
En los Estados Unidos, los casos de sarampión aumentaron de 59 casos en 2023 a 285 casos en 2024. A partir del 27 de marzo de 2025, ya tenemos 483 casos confirmados en 20 jurisdicciones. El sarampión es una enfermedad viral altamente contagiosa que puede provocar complicaciones graves de salud, especialmente en bebés y niños pequeños. El virus se propaga por el aire cuando una persona infectada habla, tose o estornuda. El virus también puede propagarse por contacto con superficies u objetos contaminados y puede permanecer en el aire hasta dos horas después de que una persona infectada abandone el área. El virus puede propagarse antes y después de la presencia de síntomas, lo que pone a las personas no vacunadas en alto riesgo.
Cuanto más infeccioso es un virus, mayor es el porcentaje de la población que necesita vacunarse para prevenir un brote. Para el sarampión, se necesita una tasa de vacunación de la población de al menos el 95% para proteger a la comunidad de un brote. La tasa de vacunación contra el sarampión, las paperas y la rubéola (MMR) del estado para niños de jardín de infantes fue del 93,8% para el año escolar 2023-2024, justo por debajo del umbral del 95%, pero las tasas de vacunación son aún más bajas en algunos condados y escuelas. Para conocer la cobertura y las tasas de exención específicas de la escuela para 2023-2024, visite elTablero de datos de inmunización de Kindergarten de Carolina del Norte.
Importantes medidas de preparación para Carolina del Norte:
Vacunación: NCDHHS urge encarecidamente a todos los residentes a asegurarse de estar al día con la vacuna contra el sarampión, papera, y rubéola (MMR). Los niños deben recibir la primera dosis de la vacuna a los 12 a 15 meses y la segunda dosis a los 4 a 6 años de edad. Los adultos que no estan vacunados o no están seguros de su estatus de vacunacion deben consultar a su proveedor de atención médica. Consulte lapágina de preguntas frecuentes y vacunas contra el sarampión de los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades(CDC, por sus siglas en inglés) para obtener más información.
Concientización pública: Los departamentos de salud estatales y locales están trabajando en estrecha colaboración con los proveedores de atención médica, las escuelas y los centros de cuidado infantil de todo el estado para garantizar que conozcan los riesgos y estén preparados para posibles casos de sarampión.
Orientación para centros de cuidado infantil y escuelas: NCDHHS urge a las escuelas, centros de cuidado infantil y organizaciones comunitarias a revisar los registros de vacunación y garantizar que todos los niños y miembros del personal estén al día con sus vacunas. La identificación temprana y la acción son esenciales si un brote ocurre. Para obtener recomendaciones detalladas de vacunación, consultela página dedicada al sarampión.
Preparación y monitoreo: Los funcionarios de salud pública del estado están monitoreando de cerca las tendencias en otros estados y en todo el mundo. NCDHHS ha emitido una guía para que los proveedores de atención médica estén atentos a los síntomas del sarampión e informen de inmediato los casos sospechosos.
Qué pueden hacer los residentes:
Asegurarse de que los niños y adultos estén vacunados o tengan evidencia de inmunidad contra el sarampión. Para obtener más información, visite la páginaConsideraciones sobre la vacuna contra el sarampión de los CDC.
Tener en cuenta los síntomas del sarampión, como fiebre; tos; secreción nasal; ojos rojos y llorosos; y una erupción roja que generalmente comienza en la cara y se extiende al resto del cuerpo.
Si sospecha que usted o su hijo pueden haber estado expuestos al sarampión, llame a su proveedor de atención médica de inmediato. No visite el consultorio del médico o la sala de emergencias sin notificárselo con anticipación para evitar la exposición a otras personas.
Si planea hacer un viaje al exterior o a un lugar donde hay un brote conocido en una zona del pais, informe a su proveedor de atención médica sobre sus planes de viaje.
Para obtener más información sobre la prevención del sarampión y los recursos de vacunación, visite el sitio web de NCDHHS y consulte la página dedicadaal sarampión y prevención del sarampión.
The international community has been called upon to scale up cervical cancer interventions and progress against the only noncommunicable disease that can be eliminated.
This call was made by the Government of South Africa, Unitaid and the World Health Organization (WHO) at the Group of Twenty (G20) Health Working Group meeting, which took place on Thursday in Zimbali, outside Durban.
According to the Department of Health, cervical cancer is preventable and potentially curable, as long as it is detected early and managed effectively. It is the second most common form of cancer among women in South Africa.
Statistics by the WHO show that the disease claimed the lives of almost 350 000 women globally in 2022.
“New vaccines, tests, and treatment technologies have transformed cervical cancer prevention in recent years, yet the disease continues to disproportionately impact women mostly in low- and middle-income countries where access to primary health care and preventive services are limited. Cervical cancer elimination would address a major gap in Women’s health,” the department said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the G20 health meeting, Unitaid’s Deputy Executive Director Tenu Avafia said Unitaid has invested US $81 million or R1.4 billion to bring down prices, increase volumes and address operational questions involved in cervical cancer screening and treatment to enable countries to scale up proven interventions with minimal risk.
“However, funding shortfalls still pose enormous challenges to building national cervical cancer elimination programs in low- and middle-income countries,” Avafia said.
Unitaid makes health products accessible, available and affordable for people who need them most.
Department of Health’s Director-General Dr Sandile Buthelezi said improving women’s health was not just a health issue but “an economic imperative”.
“It drives social stability, boosts productivity, and breaks the cycle of poverty. Global efforts to combat cervical cancer serve as a concrete illustration of how cooperation can advance women’s health and realize a shared goal to bring about the first-ever elimination of a cancer,” he said.
In 2020, the WHO launched the global strategy for cervical cancer elimination, the first-ever roadmap for the elimination of a cancer. Since then, countries have made enormous strides in rolling out new tools and services.
Vaccination against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) provides protection against infection that causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer.
And a package of screening and treatment tools – including HPV tests with the option for self-sampling and devices for quickly and easily removing pre-cancerous cells – make it possible to make lifesaving services available to women at lower levels of the health care system.
The health working group session called for a coordinated approach drawing on domestic resource mobilization, blended financing, and partnerships with multilateral development banks to scale these solutions, ensure long-term sustainability and reduce dependency on external aid.
Government asserted South Africa’s commitment to scaling up cervical cancer prevention programs nationwide with support from Unitaid, the WHO and other partners.
“The South African G20 health agenda promotes solidarity, equality and sustainability. It complements the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the development agenda of Africa as the world’s fastest-growing continent, and the Lusaka Agenda. It also focuses on rebuilding momentum to reach the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” the department said.
On Wednesday, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi reiterated the importance of nations reallocating resources towards health, strengthening global health partnerships, and exploring innovative financing mechanisms to address funding gaps.
The Minister used the platform to highlight South Africa’s commitment to universal health coverage (UHC) through the National Health Insurance (NHI) system, which aims to provide financial protection and efficient resource utilisation.
The three-day meeting which began on Wednesday, will conclude on Friday, 28 March 2025. – SAnews.gov.za
Vaccination accounts for 40% of the worldwide improvement in infant survival over these 50 years, and more children now live to see their first birthday and beyond than at any other time in human history. Much of this success is a result of the investments entrusted to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, founded in 2000.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which includes WHO, UNICEF and the Gates Foundation as core founding members, was created to widen the benefits of EPI by helping the poorest countries in the world benefit from new, life-saving vaccines, and increase the coverage of EPI vaccines. These two goals, one to expand the scope of protection and one to expand the scale of protection, have resulted in a greater breadth of protection against an increasing number of vaccine-preventable diseases. This intensified effort, including in the most vulnerable parts of the world, has helped to save more lives and further vaccine equity – ensuring children who never receive a single vaccine are reached.
Since 2000, Gavi has protected an entire generation – over 1 billion children – against infectious diseases, helping to cut by half child mortality in 78 lower-income countries. From 2000-2023, Gavi supported 637 vaccine introductions and vaccination campaigns to protect children around the world against 16 life-threatening infectious diseases. Not only are vaccines delivering protection and high impact, immunization is a ‘best buy’ in health with a return on investment of $54 for every dollar invested.
Decades of progress have made many vaccine-preventable diseases a rarity in the lives of families. Cuts in the investments to Gavi pose a massive threat to unravel this progress. Infectious diseases do not stop at borders. Where there are pockets of un- and under-immunized children and adults, measles and other diseases can easily spread, as we’re seeing in the U.S. and around the world. This puts all lives at risk, costs individuals and governments substantial resources to respond to outbreaks and stretches already scarce health system resources. This says nothing about the long-term harms and even deaths that occur to what should have been healthy lives.
Gavi has been the front line to help keep deadly vaccine-preventable diseases at bay, working hand in hand with WHO, UNICEF and other public and private sector partners, most notably, community health workers and families eager to protect their loved ones. Through routine immunization, Gavi has been critical to maintaining vaccine stockpiles for outbreak-prone diseases such as Ebola, yellow fever and meningitis.
In the next 5 years, Gavi will protect at least 500 million children from preventable disease and in so doing save an additional 8-9 million lives. Without continued support by the U.S. and other donors, the world is at risk of a dangerous backsliding in immunization coverage – meaning more zero-dose children, more disease outbreaks, more diseases crossing borders, more threats to health and more children who never reach even their 5th birthday.
Every child has the right to health. Our best defense against infectious diseases is continued investment in life-saving immunizations for all. We cannot turn our backs on protecting all children and all communities from these diseases. Nobody should be mistaken that reversing the gains of the past 25 years of immunization is anything other than a grave threat to us all. It is critical to continue investment in Gavi so that life-saving immunizations can continue to reach all children.
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On March 26 NSW Health issued an alert advising people to be vigilant for signs of measles after an infectious person visited Sydney Airport and two locations in western New South Wales.
The person recently returned from Southeast Asia where there are active measles outbreaks in several countries including Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.
If you’re travelling overseas soon, you could be at risk of measles. Here’s what to know to ensure you’re protected.
First, what is measles?
Measles is one of the most contagious viral illnesses. It spreads through the air when a person breathes, coughs or sneezes. On average, one person can infect 12 to 18 others who are not immune.
Initial symptoms include fever, a runny nose, cough and conjunctivitis. Then a non-itchy rash usually starts around the hairline before spreading around the body.
Measles is most common in children, and they’re also most vulnerable to getting very sick with the virus. Measles is severe in around one in ten children. Complications can include ear infection, diarrhoea and pneumonia, and, more rarely, encephalitis (brain swelling).
However, adults can also catch and spread the disease, making up 10–20% of measles cases during outbreaks.
The measles vaccine is free through Australia’s National Immunisation Program. It’s routinely given at 12 and 18 months of age. The first dose is combined with mumps and rubella (the MMR vaccine) and the second adds protection against chickenpox, or varicella (MMRV).
False suggestions the measles vaccination is linked with disorders such as autism have been thoroughly disproven. The vaccine is very safe and highly effective.
However, because the vaccine is made from a live virus, people with weakened immune systems (for example, those receiving chemotherapy for cancer or pregnant women) cannot have the vaccine even though they’re at higher risk of severe measles. Their safety depends on high community immunisation rates to reduce the spread of the virus.
Because measles is so infectious, at least 95% of the population needs to be immune to prevent its spread.
Immunity occurs from either two doses of measles vaccine or past infection. Measles vaccination was introduced in Australia in 1968. Most adults born before the mid-1960s would still be immune from a past infection. But vaccination is recommended for everyone else who is not immune.
In 2023 only 83% of the world’s children received at least one dose of measles vaccine by their first birthday, down from 86% in 2019. This is not enough to halt spread.
The withdrawal of US government funding from many global health programs, including a measles surveillance network that supports testing and outbreak responses, is throwing fuel on the fire.
In Australia, small but progressive declines in the uptake of childhood vaccines over the past five years and immunity gaps in other age groups means our risk of outbreaks in increasing.
For example, coverage of the MMR vaccine at 24 months declined 0.4 percentage points between 2022 and 2023 (from 95.3% to 94.9% in Indigenous children and 95.1% to 94.7% in children overall).
On-time vaccination rates – within 30 days of the recommended age – are also falling. The proportion of children who had their MMR vaccine on time dropped from 75.3% to 67.2% for non-Indigenous children and 64.7% to 56% for Indigenous children between 2020 and 2023.
Measles outbreaks are increasing in Australia and across the world
Measles cases are rapidly rising across the globe and more cases are arriving from overseas into Australia. So far in 2025, 37 cases have been reported compared to 57 in all of 2024, 26 in 2023 and seven in 2022. Most cases have been imported from overseas, but we’ve ascertained eight cases so far in 2025 were locally acquired.
Many of the countries experiencing the largest measles outbreaks are popular travel destinations for Australians, including India, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.
As the incubation period – the gap between exposure and symptoms – is around seven to ten days, travellers may enter the country without knowing they’re about to become ill and potentially spread the virus to others.
Protecting yourself and your family
Although the usual age for the first measles dose is 12 months, the MMR vaccine can be given to babies as young as six months who are travelling to measles hotspots or during outbreaks.
This early measles vaccine dose does not replace those given at 12 and 18 months, but will help protect the infant in the interim.
It’s important all adults, particularly those planning overseas travel, know their vaccination or infection history. If you don’t, talk to your health-care provider about being vaccinated.
Everyone who doesn’t have immunity from an infection should have two lifetime doses. Some adults, including those who have migrated from overseas, may have had none or only one dose when they were younger. If you’re unsure, there’s no harm in receiving a vaccine if you’ve had measles or have been fully vaccinated already.
If you come back from overseas and need medical care, inform your health-care provider about your symptoms and recent travel before attending a clinic in person.
Archana Koirala has worked on projects funded by the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care and NSW Health. She is the chair of Vaccination Special Interest Group and a committee member of Australian and New Zealand Paediatric Infectious Diseases Group of the Australasian Society of Infectious Diseases.
Kristine Macartney is the Director of the Australian National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS). NCIRS receives funding from the Australian government Department of Health and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, NSW and other state and territory health departments, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization, the NHMRC, the MRFF and the Wellcome Trust.
As a GP and mum to two boys I have many experiences of trying to navigate the school morning when my boys aren’t feeling well. It always seems to happen on the busiest days.
None of us want to send our child to school when they are not well – I hate the thought of my kids feeling sick in the classroom and also the idea they might make other children sick.
Lots of families have someone for whom illnesses are more dangerous. They might have a weakened immune system because they are going through cancer treatment or suffer from another illness.
But it can be hard to tell. A child might be dramatically crying “my tummy HURTS” one minute and racing around with their sibling the next. Or you might wonder if they are angling for some time off in front of the TV.
How can you tell if your child is too sick to go to school?
In school-aged children here are some symptoms to consider.
Fever: if your child feels hot to touch, or you have a thermometer showing a fever (a temperature above 38 degrees), then they shouldn’t attend school.
This is even if you are giving them regular paracetamol or ibuprofen to keep their temperature down. Your child won’t feel comfortable at school with a fever and they have a high chance of making others unwell.
Vomiting and diarrhoea: children should stay home until it is at least 24 hours since their last vomit or runny poo. This is to reduce the spread of viral gastroenteritis (or stomach flu) and to make sure your child can stay hydrated and well. If your child is vomiting or has diarrhoea, it also is important to keep a close eye on them to make sure they are improving and to seek medical care if they are getting worse.
Runny noses: a runny nose without a fever might be a sign of hayfever, especially if your child has other symptoms like itchy eyes or sneezing. On its own, this is not a reason to stay home.
But a new runny nose with a fever is a reason to stay home. Many infections, including influenza, COVID and even measles can start with a fever and runny nose, although usually it signals a common cold.
The common cold needs rest, fluids and encouraging your child to keep their nose clear with gentle blowing or saline sprays. And a reminder, the annual flu vaccine is an excellent way to protect your family from the serious consequences of the “proper flu”.
Cough: there are many different reasons for a child to cough. This includes infections such as COVID, whooping cough and influenza and non-infectious reasons such as hayfever and reflux. If your child has developed a new cough, and especially if they are also feverish, this is a reason to keep them at home. A cough that doesn’t go away after two weeks should also be checked out by your GP.
Tiredness: mostly on Fridays, my kids are tired after a busy week – much like me! Tiredness can be an early sign of a lurking infection or some other health issue. But on its own is probably not a reason to keep your child home. However, ongoing tiredness is a good reason to have your child checked out by your GP as there are many causes from poor sleep to iron deficiency.
Poor appetite: kids’ appetites can vary so wildly, especially when they move into growing phases. Not wanting to eat breakfast in the morning might be an early gastro infection, a sign of constipation or nervous butterflies for the day ahead. If your child is otherwise OK, with no tummy pain, fever or tiredness, then a lack of appetite for breakfast is not a solid reason to stay home.
It’s common for kids to feel tired, but this on its own is not a reason to skip school. Andrew Will/ Shutterstock
Watch out for school refusal
I find it helpful to let my child know if they stay home, they will need to stay in bed with no screens to rest and get well. This tends to separate the “truly feeling unwell” days from the “just hoping to have a rest” days.
But feeling unwell in the morning – particularly in the tummy, tiredness or unexplained headaches – can be an early sign something might not be going smoothly for your child at school or home.
School refusal is a serious problem where a child is completely overwhelmed and unable to attend school. It can come on gradually or suddenly. Talking with your child’s school is a critical first step if you are concerned about school refusal – it should be a conversation that happens promptly and your school should have procedures for helping you to manage it.
If you’re not sure, consider giving a trusted friends or family member a quick call to talk things over.
You can also contact Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 (or 13 Health if you are in Queensland). This is a national phone service open 24 hours for anyone who has symptoms and needs advice on what to do next.
Liz Sturgiss receives funding from the NHMRC, MRFF, RACGP Foundation, Diabetes Australia and VicHealth that is unrelated to this article. She is affiliated with Australian Journal of Primary Health (CSIRO), Australian Prescriber, RACGP, NAPCRG, Guidelines Development Committee for the review and update of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, Adolescents and Children in Australia and Australasian Association for Academic Primary Care.
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that his administration was notified this week by the Trump administration through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that it is immediately terminating a number of grants estimated to total more than $150 million that had been allocated to Connecticut for a wide range of essential public health, mental health, and addiction services, such as disease outbreak surveillance, newborn screenings, childhood immunizations, and testing for viruses and other pathogens.
The grants were largely committed to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). The agencies are analyzing the impact of these cuts and as more information becomes available will notify providers in Connecticut that were expecting this funding.
These cuts are part of more than $11.4 billion in public health grants that the Trump administration announced this week it is rescinding from states nationwide. Congress has long recognized that public health begins at the state and local level and appropriated these funds to strengthen the nation’s ability to respond to disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies.
“These abrupt and unexpected cuts to our health system are going to have a devastating impact on our ability to fight disease, protect the health of newborns, provide mental health and addiction treatment services, and keep people safe,” Governor Lamont said. “We should be making it easier and cheaper for people to access critical health care, including mental health services. I am urging the Trump administration to recognize that these cuts go beyond what is reasonable and reverse this rash and impulsive decision. I will do everything I can to support the health and safety of the residents of Connecticut.”
Some of the hardest impacts will be felt by DPH’s Infectious Disease Branch and the Connecticut State Public Health Laboratory. On Wednesday, dozens of projects and all work being done by vendors and consultants funded by these grants were ordered to stop. Grants are also being eliminated that fund immunization activities and address health disparities. DPH is also being forced to cancel 48 contracts with local health departments and other providers for immunization services.
“This is a dark day for public health,” DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, M.D., said. “These grants fund many of our core public health functions. While we are still assessing the impact to our agency, we know that these cuts will severely hamper our ability to respond to any future infectious disease outbreaks, childhood immunization programs that we fund must now end, and critical work we have done to strengthen and increase our capacity to protect the public health of Connecticut’s residents must stop. COVID-19 may have been the catalyst for these grants but, as Congress intended, these funds were being used to modernize our systems, strengthen our workforce, educate the public, protect our children all to prevent or mitigate the damage to human lives caused by future disease outbreaks. I hope that the administration will reconsider its decision once they realize the full scope of the critical work funded by these grants.”
DMHAS, which oversees Connecticut’s behavioral health needs in the areas of mental health treatment and substance abuse prevention and treatment, cautions that the cuts could impact services related to housing and employment supports, regional suicide advisory boards, harm reduction, perinatal screening, early-stage treatments, and increased access to medication assisted treatment.
“Let there be no doubt that this unanticipated and sudden cessation of these block grants will be immediately and consequentially disruptive to the behavioral health system in Connecticut,” DMHAS Commissioner Nancy Navarretta said. “These resources were deployed by DMHAS in a contemplative and rigorous fashion to assist providers in handling the COVID-19 pandemic and its latent impacts based on a timeline that was clearly established and articulated by Congress and the United States Treasury. Now, our clients and providers are put at risk due to an unwarranted and uninformed decision. The services at risk include housing and employment supports, regional suicide advisory boards, harm reduction, perinatal screening, early-stage treatments, and increased access to medication assisted treatment. These are lifesaving and life-changing services for our state’s residents who are asking for help at a vulnerable time in their life – all of which was exacerbated by the pandemic. In the hours and days ahead, there will be uncertainty in the system, and we will be working closely with our providers and clients to ensure they know we continue to seek solutions to continue these programs for as long as possible.”
Funding cuts will also extend beyond DPH and DMHAS. Funding is being eliminated for the Family Bridge Program, which is administered by the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood and provides up to three at-home visits from registered nurses and community health workers for families of newborns to help with the transition from hospital to home.
The following table provides a preliminary analysis of the cuts and their impact on services provided by DPH. Additional analysis of these cuts and their impact on other agencies are underway.
Major Impacts of DPH Grant Fund Cuts
Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (Grants 1-4) Estimated Funding Loss: $118,897,449
DPH no longer able to know when a new syndrome or a known disease (like flu) is showing up in emergency departments.
DPH will face staffing shortages in areas responsible for key public health functions like disease outbreak response, response to outbreaks in nursing homes, providing data and recommendations to healthcare providers and the public on disease spread in their communities.
No information on emergency department trends in the state, limiting DPH’s ability to respond to and alert partners and the public to emergencies.
Newborn screening impacted: will remain a paper process, slowing critical information and potentially impacting care in critical first days/weeks of life.
Providers will now be forced to fax reportable diseases to DPH, rather than transmitting electronically, preventing DPH from sharing real-time reports on disease spread or healthcare capacity.
Inability to complete upgrades to key information systems, wasting 10s of millions of dollars already put into the upgrades.
Lab tests will not be completed or reported timely, including for newborn screening, and the Lab’s ability to provide testing support in emergency outbreak situations will be severely degraded.
Installation of equipment to enhance the state’s ability to process and analyze genomic data scrapped, which will impact the detection of new and existing diseases and pathogens, like H5N1, Ebola, and resistant healthcare associated infections including Candida auris.
Cannot implement an electronic birth registry or combine birth and death registries, making it more difficult for people to obtain these vital records.
Elimination of 24/7 help desk to assist funeral directors, doctors, healthcare organizations and local registrars to navigate the state’s relatively new death registry.
Projects to improve data exchanges with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and with CDC halted.
43 contracts (nearly $3.5 million) with local health departments to enhance vaccination rates, access, equity, and vaccine confidence cancelled.
Loss of vaccination clinics and mobile outreach in underserved neighborhoods.
Development and distribution of vaccine educational materials stopped.
Automated reports for overdue vaccines no longer sent to providers, potentially decreasing vaccination rates and creating challenges for sticking to vaccine schedules.
All of the above will impact Connecticut’s high vaccination rates (third highest in the nation), which can lead to increased disease spread throughout the state.
Work will stop on enhancements to improve access to timely, accurate, and valid patient and vaccination records and the real-time public facing dashboard on vaccination rates in the state.
Health Disparities (Grant 6) Estimated Funding Loss: $4,465,606
Loss of DPH funding for Family Bridge Program (home visits for newborns) currently active in Bridgeport and Norwich.
Loss of Mobile Vaccine Clinics for Homebound and Rural Residents.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Imported dengue cases reach record high
In 2024, 904 dengue cases were reported in returning travellers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, up from 631 in 2023.
New data from UK Health Security Agency show imported dengue cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (EWNI) have reached their highest level since dengue surveillance began in 2009. All cases are linked to travel abroad.
In 2024, 904 dengue cases were reported in returning travellers across EWNI, up from 631 in 2023. Most cases were linked to travel to Southern and South-Eastern Asia. UKHSA is developing enhanced surveillance of dengue cases to better understand where people are acquiring infections and what mosquito bite precautions they were using, in order to help inform public health interventions in future.
Dengue cases have been increasing globally since 2010 with historic highs reported in 2019. In 2023, The World Health Organization (WHO) reported a post-pandemic global increase in both dengue cases and deaths, including in regions previously considered dengue-free, with significant increases particularly noted in Asia and the Americas. A range of factors, including climate change, changing distributions of the mosquito vector, and periodic weather events leading to rising temperatures, heavy rainfall and humidity are driving this increase globally.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recently recommended dengue vaccination for some travellers.
Imported cases of Chikungunya, another mosquito-borne infection, have also risen in EWNI. In 2024, 112 cases were reported, more than double the 45 cases in 2023, with most linked to travel in Southern Asia. These changing patterns may reflect several factors including differences in testing practices, disease burden, global epidemiology, clinician awareness and travel trends.
Zika virus disease cases increased to 16 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland during 2024, compared to 8 cases in 2023, with most travellers returning from South-Eastern Asia. Although Zika virus cases are rarely reported and don’t often cause serious illness, the infection poses a significant risk to pregnant women, as it can be passed to the foetus. There is no drug or vaccine to prevent Zika virus infection, and the most effective way of preventing infection is minimising mosquito bites.
Mosquito-borne infections like dengue, chikungunya and Zika can cause symptoms including fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. These are not always present, and some people will experience no symptoms.
Dr Philip Veal, Consultant in Public Health at the UK Health Security Agency, said:
It is essential to take precautions against mosquito-borne infections such as dengue while travelling abroad. Simple steps, such as using insect repellent, covering exposed skin, and sleeping under insecticide-treated bed nets, can effectively reduce the risk of mosquito-borne infections. Before you travel, check the TravelHealthPro website for the latest health advice on your destination, including any recommended vaccinations. Even if you’ve been to a country before, remember that you don’t have the same level of protection against infections as permanent residents and are still at risk.
The Travel Health Pro website, supported by the UK Health Security Agency, has information on health risks in countries across the world and is a one-stop-shop for information to help people plan their trip abroad. Ideally travellers should consult their GP, practice nurse, pharmacist, or travel clinic 4 to 6 weeks before their trip for individual advice, travel vaccines and malaria prevention tablets, if relevant for their destination.
In countries with insects that spread diseases like dengue, malaria or Zika, travellers can protect themselves by using insect repellent, covering exposed skin, and sleeping under a treated bed net where air conditioning is not available.
It is also important for travellers to:
ensure your routine childhood vaccines are up to date
have any recommended travel related vaccines
Follow the ABCD of malaria prevention- ‘Awareness of risk, Bite prevention, Chemoprophylaxis and Diagnose promptly and treat without delay’
Carry sufficient medications to cover the whole trip
get valid travel insurance to cover your entire trip and planned activities
As well as mosquito borne infections, UKHSA is reminding travellers that there is an ongoing outbreak of mpox in some countries in Africa. Currently, the risk to most travellers is low and vaccination against mpox infection is not recommended for the majority of people.
Those travelling to areas affected by the ongoing outbreak should take sensible precautions to protect themselves from the risk of infection by reducing touch or sexual contact, especially with individuals with a rash.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Speech
Launch of the Global Compact on Nutrition Integration: Baroness Chapman’s speech
Baroness Chapman gave a speech at the launch of a new Global Compact on Nutrition Integration on the eve of the Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris.
Welcome everyone. Thank you to our co-hosts – the Government of Nigeria, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Bank, and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, and thank you to the Government of France for bringing us together.
It is great to see such a diverse group of people gathered here – from Gavi and the Green Climate Fund, to private sector investors, philanthropy, and civil society networks, to countries deeply affected by malnutrition, including members of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement.
I know that for some of you this is your life’s work. And as the UK’s Minister for International Development, and for Latin America and Caribbean, it is a pleasure to welcome you all on the eve of the fourth Nutrition for Growth Summit, and to share a few reflections before we hear from you.
Thanks in no small part to many of you – the work we have done together over many decades has shown that we can make a difference. Lives changed and lives saved.
This agenda can serve as an example of how coming together, being more than the sum of our parts, can help us maximise our impact.
Now, before going into more detail about our collective work on nutrition, I want to address something head on. I know many of you will have seen our announcement about our ODA budget in recent weeks – as the UK responds to the world as it is now – less stable, more insecure.
It was a decision we neither relish, nor take lightly. But I hope my presence here, the work of our dedicated experts, and our continued efforts on this important agenda, demonstrates the UK will never turn its back on the world – or on international development. Far from it.
How we work has to change, but I promise, what we all care about is not. The task for all of us now is to make sure we secure the reforms we need to meet the challenges and opportunities of our times.
That includes making the case for development anew. And thinking afresh about the kind of genuine, respectful, modern partnerships we pursue, and the commitment, energy and expertise we bring to forums like this – not just how much public money we have to spend.
And as we work through the difficult choices before us now, my focus is on making sure this new reality gives even greater impetus to modernising the UK’s approach to international development. That is already underway. And it is how we maximise the impact of every pound of public money we are able to put in – and our collective impact.
So let me talk about our impact.
Over a decade after the world came together in the UK for the first of these important summits, the UK has helped to improve the nutrition of over 50 million women and children – from Nigeria, to Pakistan, Bangladesh, and beyond.
That spans everything from getting micronutrient supplements, specialist support, and therapeutic foods to treat malnutrition in women and children, to helping farmers grow more nutritious foods like vegetables and legumes, to improve the diets of their families and communities.
I talked a moment ago about the importance of working in partnership – we need to learn from our successes. Partnerships like the Child Nutrition Fund. Alongside UNICEF, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, and the Gates Foundation, we are aiming to prevent, detect, and treat malnutrition for 70 million women and 230 million children in 23 countries, from Afghanistan, to DRC, Malawi, Madagascar, Somalia, and South Sudan.
At the end of last year, a new partnership with the World Food Programme, World Health Organisation, and UNICEF got underway – focused on preventing the most horrible and deadliest form of malnutrition, child wasting.
It’s a dreadful and shameful phrase to even say – and we must keep our minds on that, as we stand here together in these wonderful surroundings, to reaffirm all our commitments and initiatives.
Commitments like those we made at the last summit in Tokyo 4 years ago, on integrating nutrition across everything we do, from climate to health – such as developing nutritious crops that help us address a lack of key nutrients. So that the 2 billion people who don’t get the nutrition they need can have a healthier life.
It means working with Gavi, the Government of Ethiopia, and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation to reach vulnerable mothers and children with life-saving immunisation and nutrition.
And, when it comes to nutrition, we all know what is at stake in every country in the world. Combating malnutrition is vital for a healthy population and healthy economies – malnutrition translates into a loss of 10% of GDP for countries most affected. It’s a good investment – every pound, euro or dollar we invest pays for itself 23 times over.
We know how to make our work even more effective. Invest in science. Go for solutions supported by the evidence. Put nutrition at the heart of everything we do – from health, to water, hygiene, and sanitation, food systems, social protection, and our wider resilience.
So, this evening, it’s fantastic we have all come together to launch the Global Compact on Nutrition Integration.
Tomorrow, we convene a new coalition of signatories. And I am looking forward to hearing from some of you this evening, about your commitment to this vital cause.
As we learn from each other, challenge each other, push each other to do more, and keep going – not just at summits like this where we all get together. That is how we maximise the impact we can achieve.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Scientists comment on news that the Trump administration are intending to stop funding for Gavi (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation).
Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, University of Oxford, said:
“The funding cuts in the first 3 months of this year affecting USAID, ODA, WHO and now Gavi are suffocating global health. With this scale of withdrawal of funding some estimates indicate that millions could die from hunger and vaccine-preventable infections. Institutions are reluctant to speak out in case they are targeted and individuals are self-censoring to protect themselves. We must wake up to the moral case for supporting the remarkable global health efforts that help the poor of the world, but also remember that it is in our own interest to defend global health. As the Covid19 pandemic reminds us, infectious diseases cross borders and put all of us at risk. “
Dr David Elliman, Honorary Senior Associate Professor in Child Health at University College London, said:
“GAVI has enabled many low income countries to deliver vaccinations to children where they would not otherwise be affordable. This is an important contribution to the prevention of millions of deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases around the world. It is estimated that vaccine programmes save something like 6 lives every minute. The withdrawal of funding from GAVI would inevitably lead to a loss of lives, that could otherwise have been saved. This is not only cruel, but is not in the interests of anyone. If diseases such as measles and TB increase anywhere in the world, it is a hazard to us all. Measles is already on the increase in many parts of the world, including Europe and USA. This could easily happen to other diseases. Ensuring that children “the other side of the world” are protected, contributes substantially to the protection of our own children in high income countries.
“Similar to the reduction in other forms of aid, this would add to the misery of millions of children. It is an utterly misguided measure, whether considered on ethical grounds or out self interest. Let us hope that this rumour is just that and does not become action.”
Professor Sir Andrew Pollard: “Professor Pollard is chair of JCVI which provides independent scientific advice on vaccines to DHSC. The comment above is given in a personal capacity.”
Eligible Islanders are encouraged to stay protected this spring and take up the offer of a COVID-19 spring booster vaccination. The vaccines are free of charge and will be available at GP surgeries from Tuesday 1 April and will be offered until the end of June.
Islanders who are eligible for the Spring Booster include:
those aged 75 and over
those aged 6 months and over who are Immunosuppressed
residents in care homes for older people.
Islanders will need to contact their GP surgeries to make an appointment. Delivery may vary practice to practice. Those who are residents in care homes will be vaccinated where they reside. Visit gov.je/SpringBooster for more information.
Primary Care Representative, Bryony Perchard, said: “While most people who get COVID will have a mild illness, those in older age groups and with certain health conditions are at a higher risk of developing serious illness and being hospitalised. Vaccination not only reduces the chances of the getting ill but also makes any infection less unpleasant. I urge all those who are eligible to not let their defences against COVID-19 fade by booking an appointment with their doctor.”
Medicine and dentistry students stood beside their posters, brightly catching the eye of anyone who seemed interested in their work, as faculty and fellow students browsed the buzzing hall.
“Each year, we are thoroughly impressed by the quality and rigor of the scholarly work that is presented by our students and, if you have looked at the program booklet and have read the abstracts, this year’s presentations will be no different,” School of Dental Medicine Dean Steven Lepowsky promised that morning, as he welcomed attendees to the 2025 Medical and Dental Research Day.
The energy was infectious. This is the second year the research day has been back in person, after taking a hiatus during the pandemic, and students, faculty, and staff happily mingled while viewing posters on a wildly diverse range of topics, from sexually transmitted disease treatment to maxillofacial surgery.
“Year after year our students make us so UConn-proud with their novel research investigations and professional presentations about them. They surely are poised to become the next generation of physician-scientists,” said Dr. Bruce T. Liang, dean of UConn School of Medicine.
After the poster sessions, Wenyuan Shi, the chief executive officer of the ADA Forsyth Institute, addressed the students with a keynote on how to combine a satisfying career in the health fields with opportunities for technological innovation and business development.
“Research and innovation have everything to do with being a good doctor,” Shi said.
Wenyuan Shi, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at the ADA Forsyth Institute, gives a lecture as the keynote speaker at the Medical and Dental Student Research Day at UConn Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine, on FEbruary 27, 2025. (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health photo)
The dental and medical students presented 102 projects, enough to fill the hallways and lobby near the rotunda as well as the landing on the way to the library. Every poster contained original research done by second-year students. It was impossible for a single individual to speak with every presenter, but below is a sampling of the work presented by the students.
Root to Crown
Longer roots make for stabler smiles: teeth with longer roots compared to the visible crown of the tooth are more likely to stay put. Especially in orthodontics, the length of the root of the tooth is a good predictor of how successful the treatment will be.
“It’s important to have that good anchor,” dental student Stephanie Salcines said. Salcines’s research looked at whether ethnicity correlated with root length in Asian and Hispanic populations. The answer she found was no, aside from the maxillary lateral incisor—but gender did seem to make a difference, particularly among Hispanics.
Fewer X-rays, Same Imagery
A new 3D x-ray technique that uses just half the radiation can identify problems in the sinuses as well as the standard method, reported Erica Mallon. The second-year dental student showed that cone beam computed tomography scans taken only from behind, rotating around the head from one ear to the other, can allow clear diagnosis of blockages, deformations, and other sinus troubles. The 180-degree behind the head technique fully shows the teeth and the sinuses, while avoiding radiation to the sensitive eyes and thyroid gland, Mallon found. Previous research showed this reduces the total radiation dose by 40% to 60%.
“This is a sweet spot between a reasonably low and balanced radiation exposure and the resolution needed for diagnosis and clinical treatment planning,” said Aditya Tadinada, associate dean for graduate research and one of the principal investigators on the project.
Troughs of Tears
The thin skin under the eye often sags with age, particularly the area around the tear trough. It’s a common location for cosmetic surgeries, but there are nerves, major blood vessels and veins that must be avoided. Second-year dental student John Fregene surveyed outcomes of tear trough cosmetic procedures and found that surgeons who followed specific guidelines caused little swelling, no artery damage, no nerve damage, and improved the appearance of the tear trough area.
“There should be a standard protocol to follow in tear trough augmentation,” Fregene said.
Exon of Action in Hyperparathyroidism
Hyperparathyroidism is a rare condition in which the parathyroid glands become overactive, causing jaw tumors, renal and uterine issues. There’s a specific gene that commonly causes the condition, called CDC73. Second-year dental student Lorens Carrasquillo found most of the mutations associated with hyperparathyroidism affected Exon 1, a specific location in CDC73.
Objectively Painful
Pain is notoriously subjective—but maybe not, according to work done by Victoria Abalyan, a second-year medical student. She used microfilments to apply precise amounts of pressure on a patient’s forearm and asked them to rate their perceived level of pain. There was definitely a correlation between level of pressure and level of reported pain, indicating women were reliably reporting their pain levels. All the patients in the study were women within 48 hours of having given birth.
“We want to take data further out, at six weeks, or 24 weeks. We might be able to screen for women who are at higher risk of pain in the postpartum period,” Abalyan said.
Medical and dental students present their research at the UConn Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine research day on February 27, 2025. (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health photo)
Ultrasound in the Emergency Room
Long waits in the emergency room are common and frustrating for patients. Three student researchers looked at whether ultrasounds done right in the emergency room could speed appropriate treatment for patients with three common issues: joint pain, suspected urinary tract infections, and emergency surgery.
Second-year medical student Michael Kosover looked into whether ultrasound could help triage joint pain. And it could—not a single joint pain patient with a normal ultrasound required surgery or admission to the hospital.
“It was 100% sensitivity,” Kosover said. “And the advantage of ultrasound is it’s quicker, no radiation, and portable.”
Delaney Kehoe looked into whether ultrasounds could diagnose urinary tract infections in the emergency room.
“We expected to see if there was a different in the inner wall of the bladder—a thicker layer, because of inflammation, or just different,” Kehoe said. In this case, the answer seemed to be no—but the study didn’t recruit enough patients, so they may continue it to get a larger sample size and clearer results.
Aspiration (inhaling stomach contents) can be a risk during lifesaving intubations in the emergency room. The risk of aspiration is why patients are advised to fast before surgery—but people who need emergency surgery obviously can’t plan ahead. Nicolette Meka evaluated whether ultrasound can reliably determine stomach size, and if so, which angle of the patient’s torso gives the best ultrasound view of their stomach.
“We found coronal—looking at the stomach from the patient’s side—gave 94.6% specificity,” in whether they had significant food in their stomach, Meka said.
Hives on Social Media
Getting hives – those red, itchy raised welts on the skin – happens to a portion of the population all the time, for no apparent reason. Yee Won Kim had them all the time when she was young, and information on how to treat or prevent them was scarce. Now, people are likely to look for advice on social media, the second-year medical student reports in her research.
“Many people are just asking what helped other people—there are a lot of good conversations happening,” Kim says. She collected information on the people and questions surrounding “chronic spontaneous urticaria,” as hives are known, on social media channels including X, Instagram, and Facebook.
Following the poster day, the judging committee, composed of medical and dental faculty, decided on the winners of the competition.
The winners of the 2025 Student Research Day are below.
Medical and dental students present their research at the UConn Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine research day on February 27, 2025. (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health photo)
School of Medicine
CONNECTICUT ACADEMY OF FAMILY PRACTICE: One medical student will receive this $200 monetary gift for excellence in Primary Care Research.
Poster 57 | Survey Connecticut Providers on the Process of Making Patient Referrals to Community-Based Organizations
Paul Jude Isaac
CONNECTICUT HOLISTIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION: Awarded by Dr. Michael Basso, this annual award was established to recognize excellence in research in Integrative/ Complementary and Alternative Medicine. A medical student and a dental student will each receive an award of $100. Special thanks go to Dr. Michael Basso of the Connecticut Holistic Health Association.
Poster 51 | Financial Strain as a Contributor to Cognitive Impairment in Late Life Depression
Brian Fox
Madison Witt
DEAN’S AWARD: In recognition of two outstanding medical student researchers and their faculty mentors. Awards of $250 each will be presented to the four awardees. The awards to faculty mentors will be used for travel to a scientific meeting.
Poster 31 | Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence Integration in Pediatric Health Care for Patient Education
Veronica Sofia Arroyo Rodriguez & Dr. Thomas Agresta
Poster 77 | Gastric Distention on Ultrasound: Coronal versus Sagittal Approach
Nicolette Mary Meka & Dr. Meghan Herbst
MR. AND MRS. JEFFREY GROSS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENT: Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Gross established this award. Dr. Jeffrey Gross is Professor Emeritus at UCHC. Awards of $250 each will be given to two medical student researchers who presented excellent studies. One award will go to an oral presentation and one award will go to a poster presentation.
Poster 47 | In vivo modeling of a novel TEK:GAB2 fusion oncogene reveals targetable oncogenic signaling pathways in angiosarcoma
Flora Isabella Dievenich Braes
Poster 52 | Visit characteristics from emergency departments caring for persons living with dementia: a nationally representative sample
James Christopher Galske
JOHN SHANLEY MEMORIAL GLOBAL HEALTH AWARD: The award is to honor the memory of John D. Shanley, MD, MPH, former Chief of Infectious Disease at the University of Connecticut, and Professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health and Associate Dean of International Health at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. This award is sponsored by FNE International and will be given in recognition of a project that best exemplifies collaboration towards sustainable services with an international partner. The student will receive a monetary award of $250.
Poster 68 | Assessing Dengue Vaccine Acceptance in Pediatric Caregivers in Kandy, Sri Lanka
Caitlin Alexandra Lawrence
LAWRENCE G. RAISZ AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MUSCULOSKELETAL RESEARCH:
In honor and memory of Lawrence G. Raisz, M.D., this award of $250 will be given to a medical student researcher who presented outstanding work in the field musculoskeletal research.
Poster 54 | Effect of 4-Aminopyridine and Smoothened Agonist on Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Christopher Jesse Garcia
PEER RECOGNITION AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH:
This award of $200 will be given to a medical student researcher in recognition of an exemplary poster presentation, as determined by peer review.
Poster 76 | Reassessing Maxillary Sinusitis: Recognizing Odontogenic Origins in the ENT Clinic
Uma Sandeep Mehta
WILLIAM M. WADLEIGH MEMORIAL AWARD FOR CROSS-CULTURAL ANDINTERNATIONAL HEALTH RESEARCH: The award is in honor the memory of William M. Wadleigh, PhD, anthropologist and Associate Director of the Center for International Community Health Studies in the Department of Community Medicine and Health Care. This $250 award is given annually to a medical student whose research exemplifies international and cross-cultural understanding of health issues.
Poster 75 | Assessing the Impact of Pediatric Dengue Hospitalization on Caregiver Stress and Functioning
Meghan Martin
School of Dental Medicine
DEAN’S AWARD: Student: Sadhana Sankar Mentor: Dr. Caroline Dealy Awarded in recognition of an outstanding presentation demonstrating clinical application and technique relating to dentistry. This award consists of an expense-paid trip as the School of Dental Medicine’s representative to the Hinman Student Research Symposium held in Memphis, Tennessee in October 2025.
ASSOCIATE DEAN’S AWARD: Student: Daniel Kotait Mentor: Dr. I-Ping Chen Awarded in recognition of an outstanding presentation in basic, clinical, educational, or behavioral science. The award consists of a complimentary meeting registration and travel assistance to present at the AADOCR General Session & Exhibition in 2026.
DENTSPLY-SIRONA STUDENT CLINICIAN AWARD: Student: Claire Ann Mentor: Dr. Frank Nichols Awarded in recognition of an outstanding presentation. Includes travel assistance to the 2026 AADOCR General Session & Exhibition/Dentsply-Sirona SCADA Program as the School’s representative; allowance for lodging, food and other expenses and a Dentsply-Sirona crystal.
CONNECTICUT HOLISTIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION: Student: Madison Witt Mentor: Dr. Gary Schulman Presented by Dr. Michael Basso, this annual award was established to recognize excellence in research in Integrative/ Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Special thanks to Dr. Michael Basso of the Connecticut Holistic Health Association.
HORACE WELLS AWARD FOR INNOVATION IN DENTISTRY: Student: Erica Mallon Mentors: Dr. Pooja Bysani and Dr. Aditya Tadinada Student: Donny You Mentor: Dr. David Shafer Two awards will be given to dental students in recognition of outstanding research with a focus on innovation in dentistry.This award is supported by the Horace Wells Trust.
JAMES AND ELLA BURR MCMANUS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN DENTAL RESEARCH: Student: Bradley Rosenberg Mentor: Dr. Alix Deymier Student: Haven Montefalco Mentor: Dr. Frank Nichols Two awards will be given to dental students presenting at the student research day to recognize excellence in research. This award is supported by the James and Ella Burr McManus Trust.
DENTAL STUDENT RESEARCH SOCIETY AWARD: Student: Marcus Costa Mentor: Dr. Flavio Uribe Presented for excellence in a science presentation by dental students at the Student Research Day. Special thanks to Dr. Arthur Hand for supporting this award.
GUSTAVE PERL MEMORIAL AWARD: Student: Henry Shaffer Mentor: Dr. Dong Zhou A scholarship award presented for outstanding original research.
OMICRON KAPPA UPSILON-PHI CHI CHAPTER AWARDS: Two awards given in recognition of outstanding research; the first award is given for basic science research and the second award given for clinical science research.
OKU-Basic Science Research Category Student: Bryson Christian Mentor: Dr. Eliane Dutra
OKU-Clinical Science Research Category Student: Alfredo Rendon Mentor: Dr. Prazwala Chirravur
We would like to acknowledge generous donations from our many sponsors in support and recognition of the hard work of our dental research students. Special thanks to our judges and research committees for their review of the abstracts, posters and judging this event. And lastly, congratulations to all of our dental student researchers and their faculty mentors for making this day possible.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
UK’s first RSV vaccination programme protects older people
New UKHSA study shows the RSV vaccination programme already achieving a 30% reduction in hospital admissions in older people in England as roll-out continues.
Early data from the roll out of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programme in England shows it is making a significant reduction to hospital admission rates in older people. This analysis by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) was published as a research letter in the Lancet.
The findings indicate 30% fewer hospital admissions in 75 to 79 year olds, who are eligible for the vaccine under the new programme, than would have occurred without vaccination. This was seen after around 40% of eligible older people took up the vaccine this winter, and the impact is expected to increase with further vaccine uptake.
The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the RSV vaccine in UK older people following the programme’s launch in September 2024. The UKHSA analysis used data from age groups either side of the vaccine programme to work out what the expected rate of admissions would be in 75 to 79 year olds, if there had not been a vaccine programme. UKHSA will also be evaluating infant RSV admissions prevented by the maternal vaccine programme.
Dr Conall Watson, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA said:
Our analysis clearly demonstrates the excellent benefit of RSV vaccination for older people in avoiding severe illness, with a direct impact on reducing hospital admissions.
We are still in the early stages of the RSV programme roll out and the benefits will increase as more people take up their vaccine, including those newly turning 75. These positive initial findings highlight why it’s so important for eligible older people to come forward and protect themselves.
Pregnant women should also take up the RSV vaccine to give their baby vital early protection. We encourage pregnant women to contact their maternity service or GP surgery to book an appointment in week 28 or as soon afterwards as possible.
Since launching on 1 September, the RSV vaccination programme for older people has reached more than 50% of those eligible through the catch-up campaign. However, with more than 1 million yet to receive their vaccination, there is still significant opportunity to increase protection across the population.
Prof Wei Shen Lim, consultant respiratory physician Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) Deputy Chair, said:
Older people admitted to hospital with respiratory infections due to RSV may become severely ill, to a similar extent as those admitted with flu.
The RSV vaccine provides a high level of protection against being hospitalised and this protection is expected to last more than 12 months.
I strongly encourage all those who are eligible to take up the offer of the RSV vaccine ahead of next autumn, if they have not already done so.
Minister for Public Health and Prevention Ashley Dalton said:
These results from our RSV vaccination programmes are incredibly encouraging.
This safe, effective and free vaccine for pregnant women and older adults is already protecting more than a million people from this potentially deadly disease. With 50% of eligible older adults now protected, we’re making good progress – but I urge those who are eligible but haven’t yet come forward to get vaccinated.
The evidence is clear: this vaccine works and is helping protect vulnerable groups while reducing pressure on our NHS.
Steve Russell, NHS National Director for Vaccinations and Screening, said:
These findings demonstrate the success of the NHS’s first ever RSV vaccine rollout and reinforce just how important it is for those eligible to get their jab, as it is preventing people getting seriously ill and ending up in hospital.
More than 1.5 million older people have been vaccinated so far since the rollout was launched in September, and we continue to work hard to reach anyone who has not yet had the jab, with around 1.3 million invites being sent out last month and tens of thousands of people coming forward each week.
If you have been invited but haven’t yet taken up the offer, please get vaccinated as soon as possible – for older people it can prevent you developing a severe illness like pneumonia and even save your life, while for pregnant women it is the best way to protect your baby from getting seriously ill with RSV.
Emerging evidence from other countries about a maternal RSV vaccination programme, similar to that launched last September in the UK which aims to protect infants from RSV, has also shown a clear benefit. A major 2024 study in Argentina, one of the first countries in the world to introduce a maternal vaccine, shows a 70% reduction in RSV hospital admissions in infants up to 6 months of age in mothers vaccinated during pregnancy. Data about the impact of the maternal programme in England will be published by UKHSA later this year.
Of women giving birth in England in October, UKHSA data from GP systems shows that 39% had received an RSV vaccine. The vaccine is offered from week 28 of pregnancy. Eligible women who have not yet been vaccinated are encouraged to contact their maternity service or GP practice to arrange an appointment.
The research consolidates similar observations from Scotland published in Lancet Infectious Disease earlier this year.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
UKHSA publishes first annual report summarising latest infectious disease trends
The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) first annual report summarising the latest infectious disease trends, bringing together all the key data from 2023 to early 2025 and outlining steps the organisation is taking to tackle these threats.
The Infectious diseases impacting England: 2025 report shows a rise in both endemic disease and vaccine-preventable infections. Infectious diseases were the primary reason for over 20% of hospital bed usage, at an annual cost of almost £6bn in 2023 to 2024. Developing scientific capability and effective interventions are having positive impacts, but more action is needed.
The report shows the re-emergence, re-establishment and an unrelenting rise in a number of infectious diseases since 2022 to 2023, with particular increases in endemic diseases and vaccine-preventable infections. The agency acknowledges that the return of social mixing, international travel and migration following the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to these patterns.
The report also shows some really positive impact in some areas due to the introduction of new public health interventions.
An intense influenza and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) season was seen in 2024 to 2025, for the second consecutive year after the pandemic, with activity and hospital admissions at similar levels seen post-pandemic in 2022 to 2023. The introduction of the new RSV vaccine programmes for the elderly, and pregnant women are already helping to reduce winter pressures. Interim findings published today confirm a 30% reduction in the rate of RSV hospital admissions in the winter of 2024 to 2025 in 75 to 79 year olds; this cohort are eligible for vaccination under the new programme.
COVID-19 transmission has declined, with the virus circulating at baseline levels of activity for much of the current winter season. Incremental vaccine effectiveness was around 45% against hospitalisation, with vaccine uptake in older age groups at 60% to 70%. Vaccination of priority groups, in particular the elderly, remained an important intervention to protect against severe disease.
Tuberculosis (TB) cases have increased by 11% in 2023 compared to 2022, with provisional data for 2024 showing a further increase of 13%, which amounted to more than 600 additional notifications of people being diagnosed in 2024 compared to 2023. This trajectory would see the UK lose its World Health Organization (WHO) low incidence status if not reversed. UKHSA continues to work with NHSE and other partners on the TB action plan, which sets out steps to improve the prevention and detection of TB.
Continued progress in eliminating viral Hepatitis C (HCV) as a public health problem by 2030 has been made, with the number of people living with chronic HCV infection falling dramatically by 57% from 2015 to the end of 2023. England is also meeting and exceeding the WHO’s absolute targets on Hepatitis B virus (HBV) related mortality, incidence, mother-to-child transmission and vaccine coverage.
There has been surge in cases of measles in children under the age of 10 and an outbreak of whooping cough (pertussis) in 2024, with 433 cases in infants under 3 months of age, of whom 10 died. Both outbreaks highlight the critical importance of vaccination in eligible groups.
UKHSA analysis found that over 20% of secondary care bed days in 2023 to 2024 in NHS hospitals (admitted care) were primarily attributable to infectious disease, at a cost of £5.9bn. These infections are also distributed unevenly; in England, from 2023 to 2024, hospital admission rates due to infectious
Diseases and infections were nearly twice as high for people in the 20% most deprived areas compared to the least deprived. UKHSA is undertaking further work to better understand these disparities.
UKHSA continues to be at the forefront of the work being done to tackle the spread of TB, working closely with the NHS and local systems to ensure optimal prevention and control measures are implemented, for example. Also crucial is developing the evidence base for new interventions to support further policy development to help reduce transmission of the disease.
There are also novel interventions on the horizon for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), based on UKHSA evidence. A routine gonorrhoea programme using the 4CMenB vaccine for GBMSM (gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men) at high risk has been advised. UKHSA has also worked with the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV to develop their evidence-based clinical guideline for the use of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of syphilis, which is currently out for public consultation.
Richard Pebody, Director of Epidemic and Emerging infections at UKHSA, said:
It is clear that a number of factors altered the rates and impact of endemic and epidemic infectious diseases in England over recent years, and the reductions in transmission related to the COVID-19 pandemic have been followed by a rise in a range of infections since 2022 to 2023 due to the return of social mixing, international travel and migration.
We have also seen vaccine uptake decrease for a number of infectious diseases, including measles, whooping cough and in certain groups eligible for the flu vaccine, such as under 65 at risk, pregnant women and health care workers.
This winter has demonstrated that rises in rates of infectious diseases can cause significant strain, not only on the individuals directly affected, but also on the NHS. It is vital that we are not complacent about infections where we can reduce the burden of disease via interventions such as our world-class vaccination programmes.
Dame Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said:
Our scientific capability and the introduction of new interventions are all helping to keep people safe and well, but our report also highlights that we have plenty of work and opportunities ahead.
Along with our partners across the healthcare sector, we need to be bolder. Behind this data there are real people, people who are sick or at risk of becoming sick, and in some cases dying. This brings with it a cost to our economy too. Yet much of this harm and distress is preventable.
Our rich data sources provide us with a huge amount of knowledge, and we will continue to use it, carefully and confidentially, to reduce the burden of infectious disease across the country, ensuring our interventions reach the people who need them most.’
For disease surveillance, prevention and control along with efforts for responsible antibiotic use of the Government are as follows: –
Active disease surveillance on diseases such as Avian influenza, PPR, CSF, FMD etc. are taken up by various ICAR Animal Science institutes. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-National Institute on Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (NIVEDI), Bengaluru provides disease risk forewarnings using Artificial Intelligence and machine learning models (AI &ML) for 15 economically important diseases on monthly basis to every state including displaying on ICAR-NIVEDI’s NADRES V2 portal as well as DAHD portal.
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has a network of laboratories which includes diagnostic laboratories in the States, one Central Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (CDDL) at Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly and five Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratories (RDDLs) one each at Bengaluru, Pune, Jalandhar, Kolkata and Guwahati for disease surveillance, early detection and swift response to disease threats.
ICAR has strengthened the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by initiating All India Network Programme on AMR (AINP-AMR) involving 31 centres across different states of the country. Indian Network for Fishery and Animal Antimicrobial Resistance (INFAAR) is conducting AMR surveillance to track trends in food animals and aquaculture tounderstand AMR risk factors in animals and fisheries to devise control strategies.
Department has formulated the National Action Plan on Anti Microbial Resistance (AMR) in consultation with MoH&FW and other stake holders for judicious use, surveillance and monitoring of antibiotics in animal health sector. MoA&FW is also one of the stakeholder in respect to use of pesticides and antibiotics in agriculture sector keeping in view the One Health Initiative and provisions under NAP-AMR.Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries has issued advisories to all State/UTs for judicious use of antibiotics in treatment of food producing animals, for stopping the use of antibiotics in animal feed and for general awareness.
Under Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP) scheme, 100% central assistance is provided to States/UTs for vaccination against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Brucellosis, Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and Classical Swine Fever (CSF), Lumpy Skin Disease, Black Quarter, Haemorrhagic Septicaemia etc including disease surveillance, monitoring and capacity building. Vaccination reduces the use of antibiotics, hence reduce the AMR.
This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying,Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, in a written reply in Lok Sabha on 25th March, 2025.
The WHO Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC) continues to closely monitor the genetic and antigenic evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants, immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination, and the performance of COVID-19 vaccines against circulating variants. Based on these evaluations, WHO advises vaccine manufacturers and regulatory authorities on the implications for future updates to COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition. The next decision-making meeting of the TAG-CO-VAC is scheduled for May 2025, after which a statement on COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition and an accompanying data annex will be published on the WHO website. These meetings are timed to balance the availability of the latest epidemiological, immunological, and virological data, with the kinetics of vaccine-induced protection and the lead time manufacturers need to update the antigen composition of authorized COVID-19 vaccines.
The purpose of this statement is to guide the scientific community and vaccine manufacturers as to which data should be generated ahead of the May 2025 TAG-CO-VAC deliberations. It is an update to the previous statement on the types of data requested in October 2024.1
To inform decisions on COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition,2-6 the TAG-CO-VAC reviews data (see Table) on the genetic evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and the antigenic characteristics of previously and currently circulating variants. This includes the analysis of animal antisera following primary infection or vaccination in one-way and two-way neutralization tests, as well as immunogenicity data that assess the breadth and durability of immune responses, including neutralizing antibody responses, using sera from sequentially immunized or infected animals and pre-and post-vaccination human sera. The TAG-CO-VAC also considers vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates of currently approved COVID-19 vaccines, particularly those that control for time since vaccination and that provide variant-specific estimates across different vaccine platforms for protection against any infection, symptomatic disease, and severe disease. Further examples of published data reviewed by TAG-CO-VAC and used to inform decisions on COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition can be found in the annexes accompanying each of the previous statements.2-6
In addition, the TAG-CO-VAC reviews available data from vaccine manufacturers, including animal and human studies demonstrating the breadth and durability of immune responses elicited by currently authorized vaccines, as well as any vaccine candidates in development. For vaccine candidates in development, the TAG-CO-VAC highlights the utility of clinical immunogenicity data for decision-making on COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition. The TAG-CO-VAC also notes that comparable immunogenicity data (i.e. to the same variants) from previous vaccine compositions are especially useful. Vaccine manufacturers are also asked to provide observational epidemiological data that demonstrate the efficacy or effectiveness of their authorized COVID-19 vaccines, as well as any vaccine candidates in development.
At this stage, the key antisera and antigens of interest for the May 2025 decision-making meeting for demonstrating breadth include antisera to: BA.2 (other historical reference viruses – e.g., index virus, Alpha, BA.1 – are also useful for determining antigenic relationships), XBB.1.5, JN.1, KP.2, XEC, LP.8.1, LF.7.2 and potentially emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Antisera of interest are animal sera after single or sequential exposure and human sera after a boost with monovalent JN.1, KP.2 or XBB.1.5 vaccines. Both pre- and post-vaccination sera should be included and, for all antisera, neutralizing antibody titers should be analyzed against at least one variant that emerged after the vaccine antigen, where feasible. Analysis of these antisera against the same panel of virus antigens as well as other new emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants will provide insight into antigenic characteristics of previous and emerging variants. Emerging variants include the list of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Interest (VOI) and Variants Under Monitoring (VUM) maintained on the WHO website. Relative VE estimates should be calculated during periods of circulation of XBB, JN.1, KP.3.1.1, XEC or other emerging variant(s) in human populations across age groups, with separate VE estimates for each of the following vaccine antigen compositions: monovalent JN.1, monovalent KP.2 or monovalent XBB.1.5. Where available, the underlying rates of disease outcomes used to derive the relative VE estimates should also be provided.
In preparation for the May 2025 meeting, the TAG-CO-VAC encourages the scientific community and vaccine manufacturers to prioritize generating and sharing the data outlined in the Table below to ensure evidence-informed deliberations on COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition; please contact the TAG-CO-VAC Secretariat: [tagcovac@who.int].
Type of data
Comments
SARS-CoV-2 genetic evolution
Key variants include the list of Variants of Interest (VOI) and Variants Under Monitoring (VUM). This list is maintained on the WHO website.+
Antigenic characterization of previous and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants
Animal sera following primary infection or vaccination against each of the following variants: BA.2, XBB.1.5, JN.1, KP.2, XEC, LP.8.1, LF.7.2 and potentially emerging variants* analyzed in one-way and two-way neutralization tests (pseudotype and live virus neutralization assays).
Preliminary immunogenicity data on breadth and durability of immune responses following vaccination or infection with SARS-CoV-2 variant antigens.
Neutralization of various representative viruses by non-naïve animal sera (e.g., sequentially immunized or infected), for each of the following antigens: BA.2, XBB.1.5, JN.1, KP.2, XEC, LP.8.1, LF.7.2 and emerging variants;* Neutralization of various representative viruses (BA.2, XBB.1.5, JN.1, KP.2, XEC, LP.8.1, LF.7.2 and potentially emerging variants*) by both pre- and post-vaccination human sera. Vaccinee sera should be analyzed in priority order: JN.1, KP.2, XBB.1.5; Neutralization of variants (BA.2, XBB.1.5, JN.1, KP.2, XEC, LP.8.1, LF.7.2 and potentially emerging variants*) by sera from cohorts that are representative of recent population immunity.
Vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates of currently approved vaccines
Relative VE estimates during periods of circulation of XBB, JN.1, KP.3.1.1, XEC or emerging variant(s) * in human populations. Studies need to estimate relative VE by time since vaccination or at least provide a measure of time since vaccination, such as the mean or median. They should also provide variant-specific estimates and distinct estimates for each of the following vaccine antigen compositions across different vaccine platforms: monovalent JN.1, monovalent KP.2, or monovalent XBB.1.5. Studies should also provide relative VE for a range of outcomes beyond severe disease, including any infection or symptomatic disease. Severe disease should not be defined using generic hospital admission data, but rather with specific criteria such as oxygen use, ventilation, or admission to intensive care due to respiratory symptoms. Where available, underlying rates of disease outcomes used to estimate the relative VE should also be provided.
Data from vaccine manufacturers
Animal and human data that demonstrate the breadth and durability in immune responses elicited by vaccines in current portfolio, as well as any vaccine candidates in development, against BA.2, XBB.1.5, JN.1, KP.2, XEC, LP.8.1, LF.7.2 and potentially emerging variants;* Observational epidemiological data that demonstrate the efficacy or effectiveness of any vaccines in current portfolio, as well as any vaccine candidates in development, against BA.2, XBB.1.5, JN.1, KP.2, XEC, LP.8.1, LF.7.2 and potentially emerging variants.*
* Key emerging variants that evolve and considered relevant for demonstrating breadth include the list of Variants of Interest (VOI) and Variants Under Monitoring (VUM). This list is maintained on the WHO website: https://www.who.int/activities/tracking-SARS-CoV-2-variants
A recent WHO-led study published in Vaccine provides updated estimates on the global production capacity of influenza vaccines, highlighting both progress and persistent challenges in pandemic preparedness. As an activity tracked in the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework Partnership Contribution High-Level Implementation Plan III (2024-2030) Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, this analysis estimates that annual seasonal influenza vaccine production remains stable, however the lack of manufacturing facilities in the African region and in low- and middle-income countries could lead to unequal access and distribution in the event of a pandemic.
The study found that since the last survey in 2019, annual seasonal influenza vaccine production capacity has remained relatively stable at 1.53 billion doses. This could support a pandemic vaccine capacity of 4.13 billion doses in a moderate-case scenario and 8.26 billion doses in a best-case scenario. This estimate does not reflect potential mRNA production capacity as no seasonal or pandemic influenza mRNA vaccines are licensed at this time.
The analysis documents that over 80% of seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccines rely on egg-based production, with inactivated influenza virus vaccines comprising the majority of supply. Reliance on embryonated eggs presents supply chain vulnerabilities, and access to other critical supplies may limit rapid scale-up during a pandemic. Expanding cell-based vaccines, including recombinant protein vaccine technologies, and investment in next-generation vaccines, such as mRNA-based influenza vaccines, could improve production speed and increase vaccine supply.
The study also found that while vaccine manufacturing facilities exist in most WHO regions, the African Region remains without local production. Production capacity is concentrated in high income and upper-middle income countries. The authors recommend strengthening local vaccine manufacturing, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, to ensure equitable access.
Seasonal influenza vaccination is important to prevent influenza and make illness less severe. It is especially important for people at high risk of influenza complications and their carers. Promoting seasonal influenza vaccination also supports global manufacturing capacity and bolsters pandemic readiness. This is because, in the event of a pandemic, manufacturers of the seasonal influenza vaccine leverage existing production processes and manufacturing facilities to create pandemic vaccines.
As the world prepares for future influenza pandemics, addressing these production and distribution challenges is critical. WHO continues to support efforts to expand access, innovate vaccine technologies, and strengthen global preparedness.
For more details, the full study is available in Vaccine (2025).
Personalized cancer vaccines represent a revolutionary approach to cancer treatment, leveraging the body’s immune system to fight cancer more precisely. Unlike traditional therapies that target general aspects of cancer cells, these vaccines are designed to recognize and destroy tumors that are unique to each patient. This groundbreaking shift in oncology focuses on exploiting the genetic makeup of a patient’s specific cancer to craft a tailored treatment.
At the heart of personalized cancer vaccines lies the concept of neoantigens mutated proteins found in cancer cells that are not present in normal tissues. The process begins with a tumor biopsy and genetic sequencing to identify mutations driving the cancer. Sophisticated algorithms then predict which neoantigens will trigger a strong immune response. A vaccine is created, often using mRNA or peptides, and administered to stimulate T-cells that recognize and attack cancer cells. This approach primes the immune system to fight cancer more effectively and creates long-term immunity, offering a proactive treatment strategy.
This personalized approach to cancer treatment is particularly promising for cancers with high mutation rates, such as melanoma and lung cancer. Results from the Phase 2b KEYNOTE-942 study demonstrated the potential of combining mRNA-4157 (V940), an mRNA-based cancer vaccine with the checkpoint inhibitors Keytruda in enhancing the immune response in melanoma patients. The 2.5 year recurrence free survival rate for the combination was 74.8%, compared to 55.6% for Keytruda alone, showing significant benefits across various subgroups. These findings demonstrate the power of personalized cancer vaccines to not only treat but potentially prevent recurrence by enabling the immune system to recognize and eliminate any remaining cancer cells.
Despite their potential, there are challenges that need to be addressed in the development of personalized cancer vaccines. The production of these vaccines is time-consuming, and the precision required to predict the right neoantigens is not yet perfect. Not all mutations are immunogenic meaning they may not always provoke the desired immune response—which can limit the effectiveness of the vaccine. Furthermore, the process of sequencing and producing a personalized vaccine for each patient can be resource-intensive, making it a less accessible option for some.
Ongoing research is addressing these challenges, with clinical trials and new technologies driving progress in the field. For example, intratumoral injections, where the vaccine is directly injected into the tumor, and nanoparticle carriers, which deliver the vaccine more efficiently, are showing promise in enhancing the vaccine’s effectiveness. As of early 2025, numerous candidates are in Phase I and II clinical trials, suggesting that personalized cancer vaccines are steadily advancing toward becoming a mainstream treatment.
The future of personalized cancer vaccines also lies in their combination with other therapies, such as existing immunotherapies. Combining these vaccines with checkpoint inhibitors and other treatments could amplify the immune response, offering even greater potential for tumor control and long-term remission. Early-stage cancers or cases with minimal residual disease may particularly benefit from this approach, as the immune system is most effective at preventing recurrence when the cancer burden is low.
In conclusion, personalized vaccines are poised to redefine cancer therapy landscape, offering a tailored, biology driven solution to cancer treatment. While challenges remain, the progress made so far both in terms of clinical trials and technology suggests that this innovative approach could soon become a standard part of cancer care, transforming the way we fight this complex and often devastating disease.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
UKHSA highlights pathogens of greatest risk to public health
A new Priority Pathogens reference tool aims to support national funders of research and development into diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has today published its view on the pathogen families that could pose the greatest risk to public health, in a bid to focus and guide preparedness efforts against these threats.
The list of 24 pathogen families, a reference tool to help guide research and development investment in England, is the first specifically designed to consider both global public health threats as well as those most relevant to a UK population.
It provides information on pathogen families where UKHSA believes further research would be most beneficial to boost preparedness against future biosecurity risks, particularly around diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics. Research and development across a range of other pathogen families not on this list also remains vital.
For each viral family included in the tool, an indicative rating of high, moderate, or low pandemic and epidemic potential is suggested. These ratings are the opinions of scientific experts within UKHSA, who have considered routes of transmission and severity of disease arising from pathogens in each family to inform the ratings.
This rating does not indicate which pathogen UKHSA considers most likely to cause the next pandemic, but rather those pathogens requiring increased scientific investment and study.
This includes those pathogens where we need increased vaccine or diagnostics development, or those which may be exacerbated by a changing climate or antimicrobial resistance.
Dr Isabel Oliver, Chief Scientific Officer for UKHSA, said:
This tool is a vital guide for industry and academia, highlighting where scientific research can be targeted to boost UK preparedness against health threats.
We are using the tool as part of our conversations with the scientific community, to help ensure that investment is focused to where it can have the biggest impact.
We hope this will help to speed up vaccine and diagnostics development where it is most needed, to ensure we are fully prepared in our fight against potentially deadly pathogens.
Among the pathogen families where UKHSA is keen to see greater scientific strides made are the coronaviridae family, which includes Covid-19; the paramyxoviridae family which includes Nipah virus; and the orthomyxoviridae family which includes avian influenza. However, the reference tool is not a detailed threat assessment and the list of families included in this tool is not exhaustive and the families are not ranked.
Priorities and risks will change with updates in epidemiology and progress will be made with the development of diagnostics and countermeasures. Therefore, the tool, which is intended to be updated annually, must be used with other information as appropriate, and represents a snapshot at one point in time.
The tool, which aims to support all aspects of the UK Biological Security Strategy, is just one of a number of UKHSA is using to secure and protect the public’s health. Both UKHSA’s Vaccine Development and Evaluation Centre and Diagnostic Accelerator are working closely with academia and industry to identify and prepare for pathogenic threats to UK health and the Priority Pathogens tool will help guide this work.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Scientists comment on the UK Health Security Agency’s new Priority Pathogens reference tool for R&D funders.
Prof Martin Hibberd,Professor of Emerging Infectious Disease, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said:
“I am pleased to see a guidance description for pathogens in a UK context being released, and that it will be up-dated yearly. As mentioned in the report, these lists cannot be comprehensive and different perspectives are likely to lead to different conclusions, but it’s release is likely to lead to more widespread consultations and honing of the findings for next year. While all the pathogen families are important, the three identified as priorities (Covid-19; Nipah virus; and avian influenza) are not surprising and I expect perhaps a more detailed, UK specific, priority list next year.”
Darius Hughes, UK General Manager at Moderna, said:
“This important work directly supports Moderna’s strategic partnership with the UK Government to strengthen national pandemic preparedness. By aligning our scientific innovation with the UKHSA’s priority pathogen list, we can help accelerate the development of vaccines where they are most urgently needed. This ensures our joint efforts are focused, forward-looking, and capable of responding rapidly to emerging biological threats—ultimately supporting the UK’s ambition to lead in global health security and protect public health through sustained innovation and collaboration.”
Prof Miles Carroll, Professor of Emerging Viruses, Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford, said:
“This new Priority Pathogen Families R&D Tool from UK Health Security Agency is aligned with similar prioritisation from the UK Vaccines Network and the World Health Organization, but with a UK focus for obvious reasons.
“The new R&D Tool is consistent with existing evidence, which is helping guide funders, policymakers and scientists on the most urgent research gaps in epidemic and pandemic pathogen threats. Tools like this are important if we are to develop effective diagnostics, vaccines and treatments to support the UK Biological Security strategy.”
Prof Robert Read, Professor of Infectious Diseases, University of Southampton, and Editor in Chief, Journal of Infection, said:
“Lists like this have been made for many years, and they represent an effort to prioritise infections for advisory and funding purposes, ostensibly to align research funding as closely as possible to public health need. Unfortunately, pathogens emerge or change constantly, and it is difficult to predict big infectious disease problems coming down the line. For this reason, I think this list is at best pointless, and at worst potentially harmful to the public health.
“Pointless because the list of viruses is so long that its tricky to name a significant viral pathogen that has not been included. Potentially harmful because a prescriptive list like this could misdirect funding towards certain infections, and away from problems that need urgently to be solved. For example, the list of bacteria of concern includes Yersinia pestis (the cause of plague, a massive problem in 14th-18th Century Europe) for which there is now good available treatment and potential vaccine candidates, but does not include Bordetella pertussis (the cause of Whooping Cough) which caused serious problems for the public during 2024 because vaccines remain sub-optimal and antibiotic treatment only works during the early phase.”
Prof Mark Woolhouse, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, and Director of the Tackling Infections to Benefit Africa, University of Edinburgh, said:
“A key recommendation of the UK Covid Inquiry’s Interim Report for Module 1 (Preparedness) was that prior to 2020 the UK was overly focussed on the risk of an influenza pandemic. When Covid arrived, it took too long to adjust our response to a different threat, which was part of the reason we ended up in lockdown.
“Since the pandemic, there have been many initiatives to better understand the diversity of pandemic threats that the UK and the world may face in the coming years. The UKHSA’s pathogen prioritization exercise is a welcome contribution to this global effort.
“Of the highest priority pathogens identified by the UKHSA, no one could argue with the inclusion of coronaviruses and influenza viruses (the latter being members of the Orthomyxoviridae family).
“The UKHSA are also right to be concerned about another family of viruses, the Paramyxoviridae. This is a group that includes the measles virus, itself a continuing cause for concern with large outbreaks regularly reported from around the world.
“A novel measles-like virus would pose a threat far worse than Covid. Such a virus would have a much higher R number than the original variants of Covid – making it impossible to control by even the strictest lockdown. It would also be considerably more deadly, and (unlike Covid) it would be a threat to children. This is the kind of pandemic that public health agencies around the world are most concerned about.
“That said, there are many potential kinds of novel pandemic threats – so-called Disease X – and the UKHSA report is a timely reminder that we should not put all our eggs in one basket. The possibility of different kinds of threat – different transmission routes, different types of disease, different populations at risk – means that our response needs to be scalable, adaptable and quick. Knowledge, information and data collected in the first few weeks of the next pandemic will be crucial to tailoring our response appropriately. We need the systems to gather that data in place in advance and ready to be activated, possibly at very short notice.”
‘Priority pathogen families research and development (R&D) tool: A reference tool to help guide England-based funders of research and development’ was published by the UK Health Security Agency at 00:01 UK time on Tuesday 25 March 2025.
Declared interests
Prof Mark Woolhouse: “I am a consultant for the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) and a member of the Scottish Committee for Pandemic Preparedness (SCoPP).”
Prof Martin Hibberd: “I have no conflicts with this topic, but I do work on some of the pathogens listed and have been funded by Industry (most recently J&J) – amongst other government support, to work on them.”
Prof Miles Carroll: “I consult for PicturaBio diagnostics. I am a member of the WHO R&D BluePrint Pathogen Prioritisation Committee, UKVN, APHA SAB and MRC/UVRI SAB.”
Darius Hughes: In December 2023, Moderna entered a 10-year strategic partnership with the UK government to establish an mRNA research development and manufacturing facility in the UK. The strategic partnership is managed by the UK Health Security Agency on behalf of the UK government.
For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.
As the Commission pointed out in its reply to Written Question E-000814/2023[1], in line with the EU Vaccines Strategy[2], the Commission and the Member States have taken a common EU approach to securing COVID-19 vaccine supplies and facilitating their distribution.
An Agreement[3] was concluded between the Commission and the Member States allowing the Commission to procure COVID-19 vaccines on behalf of the Member States and related procedures.
This Agreement established a Steering Board, where all Member States are represented, to provide guidance throughout the evaluation process, as well as a Joint Negotiation Team composed of Commission officials and Member States representatives to carry out the negotiations.
In accordance with the Agreement, individual Commissioners, including the President of the Commission, did not have any role in negotiations.
Agreements concluded by the Commission on behalf of the Member States have been signed by the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, following a decision of the Commission as a college.
To help countries strengthen their capacity to respond quickly during crises—including the dissemination of critical information and understanding the factors influencing this—WHO has partnered with the Ministries of Health in Sri Lanka and Thailand to pilot a new global Information Environment Assessments (IEA) tool and training package. Funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the new IEA tool is designed to help countries identify the factors influencing how communities’ access, process, exchange, engage with, understand, and share information.
On the occasion on World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, marked on 24 March, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for an urgent investment of resources to protect and maintain tuberculosis (TB) care and support services for people in need across regions and countries. TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease, responsible for over 1 million people annually bringing devastating impacts on families and communities.
Global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 79 million lives since 2000. However, the drastic and abrupt cuts in global health funding happening now are threatening to reverse these gains. Rising drug resistance especially across Europe and the ongoing conflicts across the Middle-East, Africa and Eastern Europe, are further exacerbating the situation for the most vulnerable.
Under the theme Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver, World Tuberculosis Day 2025 campaign highlights a rallying cry for urgency, and accountability and hope. “The huge gains the world has made against TB over the past 20 years are now at risk as cuts to funding start to disrupt access to services for prevention, screening, and treatment for people with TB,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “But we cannot give up on the concrete commitments that world leaders made at the UN General Assembly just 18 months ago to accelerate work to end TB. WHO is committed to working with all donors, partners and affected countries to mitigate the impact of funding cuts and find innovative solutions.”
Funding: threat to global TB efforts
Early reports to WHO reveal that severe disruptions in the TB response are seen across several of the highest-burden countries following the funding cuts. Countries in the WHO African Region are experiencing the greatest impact, followed by countries in the WHO South-East Asian and Western Pacific Regions. Twenty seven countries are facing crippling breakdowns in their TB response, with devastating consequences, such as:
Human resource shortages undermining service delivery;
Diagnostic services severely disrupted, delaying detection and treatment;
Data and surveillance systems collapsing, compromising disease tracking and management;
Community engagement efforts, including active case finding, screening, and contact tracing, deteriorating, leading to delayed diagnoses and increased transmission risks.
Nine countries report failing TB drug procurement and supply chains, jeopardizing treatment continuity and patient outcomes.
The 2025 funding cuts further exacerbate an already existing underfunding for global TB response. In 2023, only 26% of the US$22 billion annually needed for TB prevention and care was available, leaving a massive shortfall. TB research is in crisis, receiving just one-fifth of the US$5 billion annual target in 2022—severely delaying advancements in diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines. WHO is leading efforts to accelerate TB vaccine development through the TB Vaccine Accelerator Council, but progress remains at risk without urgent financial commitments.
Joint statement with civil society
In response to the urgent challenges threatening TB services worldwide, WHO’s Director-General and Civil Society Task Force on Tuberculosis have issued a decisive statement. The joint statement released this week, demands immediate, coordinated efforts from governments, global health leaders, donors, and policymakers to prevent further disruptions. The statement outlines five critical priorities:
Addressing TB service disruptions urgently, ensuring responses match the crisis’s scale;
Securing sustainable domestic funding, guaranteeing uninterrupted and equitable access to TB prevention and care;
Safeguarding essential TB services, including access to life-saving drugs, diagnostics, treatment and social protections, alongside cross-sector collaboration;
Establishing or revitalizing national collaboration platforms, fostering alliances among civil society, NGOs, donors, and professional societies to tackle challenges;
Enhancing monitoring and early warning systems to assess real-time impact and detect disruptions early.
“This urgent call is timely and underscores the necessity of swift, decisive action to sustain global TB progress and prevent setbacks that could cost lives,” said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global Programme on TB and Lung Health. “Investing in ending TB is not only a moral imperative but also an economic necessity—every dollar spent on prevention and treatment yields an estimated US$43 in economic returns.”
New guidance on TB and lung health
As one of the solutions to combating growing resource constraints, WHO is driving the integration of TB and lung health within primary healthcare as a sustainable solution. New technical guidance released by WHO outlines critical actions across the care continuum, focusing on prevention, early detection of TB and comorbidities, optimized management at first contact and improved patient follow-up. The guidance also promotes better use of existing health systems, addressing shared risk factors such as overcrowding, tobacco, undernutrition and environmental pollutants.
By tackling TB determinants alongside communicable and non-communicable diseases, lung conditions, and disabilities through a unified strategy, WHO aims to reinforce the global response and drive lasting improvements in health outcomes.
On World TB Day, WHO calls on everyone: individuals, communities, societies, donors and governments, to do their part to end TB. Without concerted action from all stakeholders, the TB response will be decimated, reversing decades of progress, putting millions of lives at risk and threatening health security.
Innovation Saskatchewan, the provincial government’s innovation agency, is investing in research infrastructure to support Saskatchewan’s world-class research community.
The 2025-26 Budget includes a $3.0 million commitment to the Canadian Light Source (CLS) and an additional $4.1 million commitment to the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) for enhancements to equipment and infrastructure.
These targeted investments will strengthen existing facilities foundational to the province’s research landscape, making it easier for innovators to develop ideas in Saskatchewan, attract and retain top talent and share high-demand solutions with the world.
“Saskatchewan is a global leader in cutting-edge research and technological innovation,” Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan Warren Kaeding said. “By investing in the province’s world-class research community, we are accelerating made-in-Saskatchewan solutions to global challenges, creating jobs and driving economic growth to achieve our 2030 Growth Plan goals.”
A cornerstone of Saskatchewan’s research leadership is its network of world-class research centres, including CLS, a major international research facility home to Canada’s only synchrotron and one of the most advanced in the world, and VIDO, a global leader in infectious disease and vaccine research for over half a century.
The additional $3.0 million for CLS matches federal funding to add new state-of-the-art equipment essential to continuing reliable and sustainable operations. The funding ensures CLS will remain at the forefront of research innovation and enhance its ability to advance scientific discovery.
The additional $4.1 million commitment for VIDO builds on Innovation Saskatchewan’s $15.0 million commitment in 2021 to expand capabilities for the organization to become Canada’s Centre for Pandemic Research. This includes upgrading facilities to containment Level 4 standards – the highest level possible. Once completed, VIDO will be Canada’s only non-governmental facility capable of handling the world’s most dangerous pathogens, elevating Saskatchewan’s role in global health security.
“For decades, Saskatchewan has strategically built a dynamic research ecosystem and CLS and VIDO are central to that vision,” Innovation Saskatchewan CEO Kari Harvey said. “Strengthening our commitments will broaden our impact, securing our province’s future and cementing our reputation as a global research leader.”
In addition to the 2025-26 research investment, Innovation Saskatchewan continues planning for the redevelopment of the Galleria, the flagship building at its Innovation Place research and technology park in Saskatoon. The west wing is being transformed into a multi-tenant space for scaling companies – particularly those in agtech and other key sector industries – with integrated laboratories, pilot plant space and other specialized infrastructure to support Saskatchewan’s growing technology sector.
Based on immunization registry data, the current statewide vaccination rate for babies up to two years old, excluding New York City, is 81.4 percent. This is the percent of children who have received at least one dose of the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccines. However, actual vaccination coverage among school-age children is higher, typically around 90 percent.
Individuals should receive two doses of the MMR vaccine to be protected. Those who aren’t sure about their immunization status should call their local health department or health care provider. Those who were born before 1957 have likely already been exposed to the virus and are immune. Those born between 1957 and 1971 should check with a doctor to ensure they’ve been properly immunized as vaccines administered during that time may not have been reliable.
Those who travel abroad should make sure they are vaccinated for measles. Babies as young as 6 months can get an MMR if they are traveling abroad. The babies should get their MMRs on schedule and need a total of three MMRs.
The State Health Department is monitoring the situation very carefully, along with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Local health departments in each county are prepared to investigate cases and distribute vaccines or other protective measures as needed.
“As measles outbreaks occur at home and around the globe, it’s critical that New Yorkers take the necessary steps to get vaccinated, get educated and stave off the spread of this preventable disease — the safety of our communities depends on it.”
Governor Hochul
NYC Health Department Acting Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse said, “To date, the NYC Health department has confirmed three unrelated cases of measles in New York City. Disease surveillance and outbreak response readiness is at the heart of our agency’s operations. Measles is highly contagious and can be deadly. We strongly encourage people who have not been vaccinated to get vaccinated and make sure your children have received the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccines. Vaccination not only protects the person who gets vaccinated, but also contributes to community protections by helping stop the spread of the disease and keeping infants and others who can’t be vaccinated safe.”
State Senator Gustavo Rivera said, “The four reported cases of measles in New York State this year are not only concerning but also, a stern reminder that we must keep our recommended immunizations up to date. I want to thank Governor Hochul and Commissioner McDonald for launching a portal to provide support to health care providers who are our first line of defense when it comes to public health. Measles could pose serious health risks for those who contract it and are not protected so it is critical that we follow the science and don’t fall behind on immunizations.”
Assemblymember Amy Paulin said, “The science is clear – the measles vaccine works. I encourage everyone to get vaccinated, and I appreciate Governor Hochul and State Health Commissioner McDonald’s efforts to provide New Yorkers and healthcare providers with the support, education, and resources for this lifesaving immunization.”
Misinformation around vaccines has in recent years contributed to a rise in vaccine hesitancy, declining vaccination rates and a black market for fraudulent vaccination records. The Department takes an active role in combating vaccination fraud. This includes work by the Department’s Bureau of Investigations identifying, investigating, and seeking impactful enforcement actions against those who falsify vaccine records, as evidenced by several recent cases announced by the Department.
Combating vaccine fraud is a collective effort that includes various stakeholders responsible for community health and safety. The Department works with schools to help them fulfill their responsibility of reviewing vaccination records for fraud. Additionally, the Department partners with the New York State Education Department, local health departments and school-nurse professional organizations around this critical effort. Moreover, the Department’s Bureau of Investigations, in particular, works to educate, engage and support police and prosecutors statewide regarding vaccination fraud, which under New York law is a felony-level criminal offense.
Measles is a highly contagious, serious respiratory disease that causes rash and fever. In some cases, measles can reduce the immune system’s ability to fight other infections like pneumonia.
Serious complications of measles include hospitalization, pneumonia, brain swelling and death. Long-term serious complications can also include subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a brain disease resulting from an earlier measles infection that can lead to permanent brain damage.
People who are infected with measles often get “measles immune amnesia,” which causes their immune system to lose memory to fight other infections like pneumonia. In places like Africa, where measles is more common, this is the largest driver of mortality.
Measles during pregnancy increases the risk of early labor, miscarriage and low birth weight infants.
Measles is caused by a virus that is spread by coughing or sneezing into the air. Individuals can catch the disease by breathing in the virus or by touching a contaminated surface, then touching the eyes, nose, or mouth. Complications may include pneumonia, encephalitis, miscarriage, preterm birth, hospitalization and death.
The incubation period for measles is up to 21 days. People who are exposed to measles should quarantine 21 days after exposure and those who test positive should isolate until four days after the rash appears.
Symptoms for measles can include the following:
7-14 days, and up to 21 days after a measles infection
High fever
Cough
Runny nose
Red, watery eyes
3-5 days after symptoms begin, a rash occurs
The rash usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet.
Small, raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots.
The spots may become joined together as they spread from the head to the rest of the body.
When the rash appears, a person’s fever may spike to more than 104° Fahrenheit.
A person with measles can pass it to others as soon as four days before a rash appears and as late as four days after the rash appears.
Clade I mpox no longer considered a high consequence infectious disease
Clade Ia and Ib mpox will no longer be classified as a high consequence infectious disease (HCID) following a review of available evidence by the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens, the UK Health Security Agency has confirmed today.
This decision has been taken because the evidence related to this clade no longer meets the criteria for an HCID, which includes having a high mortality rate and a lack of available interventions.
However, the decision should not be interpreted as clade I mpox no longer being of any public health consequence. The disease is still a public health emergency of international concern as defined by the WHO.
Sexual and close physical contact is the main way that mpox spreads.
There have been no reported deaths from mpox in the UK to date, and vaccination is available for higher risk contacts, healthcare workers, and those who are most at risk.
Emma Richards, Incident Director at the UK Health Security Agency, said:
There is now firm evidence of vaccine effectiveness and a low mortality rate for cases of clade I mpox, alongside heightened clinical awareness of symptoms, and access to rapid diagnostic testing and safe therapies with emerging evidence of efficacy.
This change does not alter our overall public health response and we remain committed to preventing the spread of clade I mpox within the UK.
While mpox infection is mild for many, it can cause severe symptoms including unusual rashes and blisters, a fever and headache.
The majority of people who have presented with symptoms report close physical contact, including massages, or sex prior to developing symptoms. It’s important people who have travelled to affected countries in Africa remain alert to the risks and seek medical advice if necessary.
All 4 UK Chief Medical Officers have agreed to accept the recommendation.
There have been no cases of clade Ia mpox in the UK, and only a small number of cases of clade Ib mpox. Most of these cases have appeared in returning travellers from affected areas in Africa with the others being household contacts of a case.
There has been no community transmission of clade I mpox within the UK and the risk to the population remains low.
In the context of the outbreak in parts of Africa, we expect to see the occasional imported case of clade Ib mpox in the UK.
Previous
13 February 2025
A new case of clade Ib mpox has been detected in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) can confirm.
The case was detected in London and the individual is now under specialist care at the Royal Free Hospital High Consequence Infectious Diseases unit. They had recently returned from Uganda, where there is currently community transmission of clade Ib mpox. The UKHSA and NHS will not be disclosing any further details about the individual.
The risk to the UK population remains low. In the context of the outbreak in parts of Africa, we expect to see the occasional imported case of clade Ib mpox in the UK.
This is the eighth case of clade Ib mpox confirmed in England since October 2024. This case has no links to the previous cases identified in England.
Close contacts of the case are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. Contacts will be offered testing and vaccination where needed to prevent further infections and they will be advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.
Dr Merav Kliner, Incident Director at UKHSA, said:
The risk to the UK population remains low. Close contacts have been identified and offered appropriate advice in order to reduce the chance of further spread.
Clade Ib mpox has been circulating in several countries in Africa in recent months. Imported cases have been detected in a number of countries including Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden and the United States.
There has been extensive planning undertaken to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to confirmed cases.
Another case of clade Ib mpox has been detected, bringing the total number of confirmed cases since October 2024 to 7, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) can confirm.
The individual had recently travelled to Uganda. The risk to the UK population remains low.
The UKHSA and NHS will not be disclosing any further details about the individual.
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said:
The risk to the UK population remains low. Close contacts have been identified and offered appropriate advice in order to reduce the chance of further spread.
20 January 2025
A new case of clade Ib mpox has been detected in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) can confirm.
The case was detected in East Sussex and the individual is now under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. They had recently returned from Uganda, where there is currently community transmission of clade Ib mpox. The UKHSA and NHS will not be disclosing any further details about the individual.
The risk to the UK population remains low. In the context of the outbreak in parts of Africa, we expect to see the occasional imported case of clade Ib mpox in the UK.
This is the sixth case of clade Ib mpox confirmed in England since October 2024. This case has no links to the previous cases identified in England.
Close contacts of the case are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. Contacts will be offered testing and vaccination where needed to prevent further infections and they will be advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.
Dr Meera Chand, Deputy Director at UKHSA, said:
It is thanks to clinicians rapidly recognising the symptoms and the work of our specialist laboratory that we have been able to detect this new case.
The risk to the UK population remains low following this sixth case, and we are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce the risk of any potential spread.
Clade Ib mpox has been circulating in several countries in Africa in recent months. Imported cases have been detected in a number of countries including Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden and the United States.
There has been extensive planning undertaken to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any further confirmed cases.
29 November 2024
A new case of clade Ib mpox has been detected in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) can confirm.
The case was detected in Leeds and the individual is now under specialist care at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. They had recently returned from Uganda, which is seeing community transmission of clade Ib mpox. The UKHSA and NHS will not be disclosing any further details about the individual.
The risk to the UK population remains low. We expect to see the occasional imported case of clade Ib mpox in the UK.
This is the fifth case of clade Ib mpox confirmed in England in recent weeks. This case has no links to the previous cases identified. All 4 previous cases were from the same household and all have now fully recovered.
Close contacts of the case are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. Any contacts will be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said:
It is thanks to clinicians rapidly recognising the symptoms and our diagnostics tests that we have been able to detect this new case.
The risk to the UK population remains low following this fifth case, and we are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce the risk of any potential spread. In accordance with established protocols, investigations are underway to learn how the individual acquired the infection and to assess whether there are any further associated cases.
Clade Ib mpox has been widely circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya in recent months. Imported cases have been detected in Canada, Sweden, India, Thailand and Germany.
There has been extensive planning underway to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any further confirmed cases.
6 November 2024
One further case of clade Ib mpox has been detected in a household contact of the first case, the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) can confirm.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 4, all of which belong to the same household.
The patient is currently under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London. The risk to the UK population remains low.
The patient has been isolating since identified as a contact of the first case and no additional contact tracing is required.
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said:
Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact and so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household.
The overall risk to the UK population remains low. We are working with partners to make sure all contacts of the cases are identified and contacted to reduce the risk of further spread.
Contacts of cases are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. All contacts will be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.
There has been extensive planning underway to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any further confirmed cases.
4 November 2024
Two cases of clade Ib mpox have been detected in household contacts of the first case, the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) can confirm. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 3.
The 2 patients are currently under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London. The risk to the UK population remains low.
There has been extensive planning underway to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any further confirmed cases.
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said:
Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact and so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household.
The overall risk to the UK population remains low. We are working with partners to make sure all contacts of the cases are identified and contacted to reduce the risk of further spread.
Contacts of all 3 cases are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. All contacts will be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.
30 October 2024
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has detected a single confirmed human case of clade Ib mpox. The risk to the UK population remains low.
This is the first detection of this clade of mpox in the UK. It is different from mpox clade II that has been circulating at low levels in the UK since 2022, primarily among gay, bisexual and other men-who-have-sex-with-men (GBMSM).
UKHSA, the NHS and partner organisations have well tested capabilities to detect, contain and treat novel infectious diseases, and while this is the first confirmed case of mpox clade Ib in the UK, there has been extensive planning underway to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any confirmed cases.
The case was detected in London and the individual has been transferred to the Royal Free Hospital High Consequence Infectious Diseases unit. They had recently travelled to countries in Africa that are seeing community cases of clade Ib mpox. The UKHSA and NHS will not be disclosing any further details about the individual.
Close contacts of the case are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. Any contacts will be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.
UKHSA is working closely with the NHS and academic partners to determine the characteristics of the pathogen and further assess the risk to human health. While the existing evidence suggests mpox clade Ib causes more severe disease than clade II, we will continue to monitor and learn more about the severity, transmission and control measures. We will initially manage clade Ib as a high consequence infectious disease (HCID) whilst we are learning more about the virus.
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said:
It is thanks to our surveillance that we have been able to detect this virus. This is the first time we have detected this clade of mpox in the UK, though other cases have been confirmed abroad.
The risk to the UK population remains low, and we are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce the risk of any potential spread. In accordance with established protocols, investigations are underway to learn how the individual acquired the infection and to assess whether there are any further associated cases.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting, said:
I am extremely grateful to the healthcare professionals who are carrying out incredible work to support and care for the patient affected.
The overall risk to the UK population currently remains low and the government is working alongside UKHSA and the NHS to protect the public and prevent transmission.
This includes securing vaccines and equipping healthcare professionals with the guidance and tools they need to respond to cases safely.
We are also working with our international partners to support affected countries to prevent further outbreaks.
Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccination and screening, said:
The NHS is fully prepared to respond to the first confirmed case of this clade of mpox.
Since mpox first became present in England, local services have pulled out all the stops to vaccinate those eligible, with tens of thousands in priority groups having already come forward to get protected, and while the risk of catching mpox in the UK remains low, if required the NHS has plans in place to expand the roll out of vaccines quickly in line with supply.
Clade Ib mpox has been widely circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent months and there have been cases reported in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Sweden, India and Germany.
Clade Ib mpox was detected by UKHSA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing.
Common symptoms of mpox include a skin rash or pus-filled lesions which can last 2 to 4 weeks. It can also cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.
The infection can be passed on through close person-to-person contact with someone who has the infection or with infected animals and through contact with contaminated materials. Anyone with symptoms should continue to avoid contact with other people while symptoms persist.
The UK has an existing stock of mpox vaccines and last month announced further vaccines are being procured to support a routine immunisation programme to provide additional resilience in the UK. This is in line with more recent independent JCVI advice.
Working alongside international partners, UKHSA has been monitoring clade Ib mpox closely since the outbreak in DRC first emerged, publishing regular risk assessment updates.
The wider risk to the UK population remains low.
UKHSA has published its first technical briefing on clade I mpox which provides further information on the current situation and UK preparedness and response.
On 12 March 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) prequalified the first maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine to protect infants against one of the most common causes of acute lower respiratory infections in children globally.
Each year, RSV causes more than 3.6 million hospitalizations and about 100 000 deaths in children under 5 years of age. About half of these deaths occur in infants younger than 6 months of age. The majority of paediatric RSV deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries where there is limited access to supportive medical care.
Currently, there are no specific treatments for RSV infection, making supportive measures the main line of therapy. Preventive measures, such as vaccines, are key to reducing cases of pneumonia and bronchiolitis, decreasing hospitalizations and oxygen use, and saving infant lives globally. After decades of research, there are currently two licensed immunization products for prevention of RSV disease in young infants: the maternal vaccine given to pregnant women in the third trimester to protect their babies and a long-acting monoclonal antibody administered to infants from birth just before or during the RSV season.
“RSV has long been an under-recognized public health problem, significantly impacting infants worldwide,” says Dr Katherine O’Brien, WHO Director, Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals. “Expanding access to maternal RSV vaccination will help keep infants out of hospitals, save lives and free up limited resources for other health priorities.”
In September 2024, the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) made global recommendations to introduce passive immunization (maternal vaccination and infant monoclonal antibodies) for the prevention of severe RSV disease in young infants. The subsequent prequalification of the maternal RSV vaccine in March 2025 reflects the Organization’s commitment to improving health equity by expediting access to life-saving health products in parallel to developing recommendations.
The prequalified maternal vaccine, ABRYSVO®, aims to prevent RSV-associated disease in infants during the first 6 months through the transfer of antibodies during gestation. ABRYSVO® is manufactured by Pfizer with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as the Regulatory Authority of reference. To date, the maternal RSV vaccine has only been used in high- and middle-income countries. With prequalification and new WHO recommendations, the aim is to expand RSV vaccination to low- and lower-middle-income countries where the risk of severe disease and death is highest.
WHO will launch a position paper on RSV vaccines in May 2025 based on the SAGE recommendations. The aim of the position paper is to inform national public health officials and immunization programme managers on use of RSV immunization products in their national programmes, as well as national and international funding agencies.
Prequalification is a pre-requisite for financial support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and for vaccine purchases by UN agencies such as UNICEF. The Gavi Board will make further decisions about the inclusion the maternal RSV vaccine within the Organization’s vaccine portfolio during 2025.
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