Travel Vaccine Breaking News

The President of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves, recently confirmed that proof of COVID-19 vaccination and wearing face masks are no longer mandatory to enter the Central American country, local media reported on August 5, 2022.

And, Costa Rica will stop requiring a health insurance policy for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

These changes come after almost 93% of Costa Ricans had their first dose and 10% a fourth dose, according to the Costa Rican Social Security Fund.

President Chaves announced these pending changes in May 2022.

And the U.S. CDC no longer requires air passengers traveling from Costa Rica to the Us to show a negative COVID-19 viral test or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board their flight.

However, the CDC suggests several travel vaccines to protect people before visiting Costa Rica.

And from a security perspective, the U.S. Department of State maintains a Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution, travel advisory for Costa Rica.

As of April 19, 2022, the advisory says, 'While petty crime is the predominant threat for tourists in Costa Rica, violent crime occurs in Costa Rica, and the local government provides additional security resources in areas frequented by tourists.'

If Americans need assistance, the U.S. Embassy San Jose is located at Calle 98 Vía 104, Pavas, San José, Costa Rica - Phone: (506) 2519-2000.

Note: Costa Rica has recently confirmed local cases of the monkeypox virus.

According to the latest results from the Henley Passport Index, Japan holds the number one spot on the Index according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa, with a record-high visa-free or visa-on-arrival score of 193.

While Singapore and South Korea tied for 2nd place with a score of 192 in the Index, which is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

EU member states dominate the rest of the top ten spots on the latest ranking, with Germany and Spain in joint-3rd place, with access to 190 destinations visa-free.

Finland, Italy, and Luxembourg follow closely behind in joint-4th place with 189 destinations.

And Denmark, Netherlands, and Sweden share 5th place with their passport holders able to travel to 188 destinations worldwide without a visa.

The UK and the USA have dropped to 6th and 7th, respectively.

But despite the unprecedented worldwide access afforded to the citizens of these nations over the Index's 17-year history, international passenger demand in the Asia-Pacific region has only reached 17% of pre-Covid levels, according to IATA's latest statistics.

While the European and North American markets have recovered to around 60% of pre-crisis travel mobility levels.

Commenting in the Henley Global Mobility Report 2022 Q3, Dr. Marie Owens Thomsen, Chief Economist at IATA, says passenger numbers should reach 83% of pre-pandemic levels in 2022.

"By next year, many markets should see traffic reach or exceed pre-pandemic levels, while we expect this to be the case for the industry as a whole in 2024."

As of August 5, 2022, the U.S. TSA checkpoint travel activity numbers indicate travel had recovered to about 90% of 2019 volume.

The U.S. State Department frequently publishes Travel Advisories to inform international travelers of each country's situation. 

And if a citizen of a foreign country seeks to enter the U.S., they need to obtain a U.S. visa.

Additionally, local U.S. Embassies offer local insights and services to American citizens. Updated FAQs about U.S. passport operations are found on the State Department webpage.

Note: This research was manually curated for mobile travelers.

Following the declaration of the monkeypox virus outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the WHO in late July 2022, persons with compatible symptoms, diagnosed cases, and persons considered close contacts of infected people, Spain's Health Ministry advised not to travel.

Spanish health authorities and community groups are struggling to check an outbreak that has already claimed the lives of two young men who reportedly died of encephalitis.

As of August 6, 2022, data sources indicate Spain has had 4,942 confirmed cases since the start of the MPX outbreak in early May 2022.

Spain says that 80% of its cases are among men who have sex with men, and only 1.5% are women, reported VOA.

Spain has distributed about 5,000 doses of the two-shot Jynneos vaccine to health clinics and expects to receive 7,000 more from the European Union in the coming days, its health ministry confirmed.

To alert international travelers of their monkeypox risks, the U.S. CDC issued an Alert - Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions notice for Spain in June 2022.

The CDC says monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the MPXV.

People usually become infected with the MPXV through contact with the skin lesions or bodily fluids of infected animals or humans or through contact with contaminated materials.

As of June 12, 2022, the CDC order requiring all persons to show a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before boarding a flight to the USA was rescinded.

However, the CDC’s Order requiring proof of vaccination for non-U.S. citizens and nonimmigrants to travel to the USA from Spain remains in effect.

Note: This information was manually curated for mobile readership.

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) announced that poliovirus was detected in Rockland County, NY, in wastewater samples collected in June 2022.

As part of ongoing surveillance efforts, New York wastewater samples are shared with the Global Polio Laboratory Network, which confirmed that the case in Rockland County is genetically linked to two Sabin-like type 2 (SL2) isolates collected from samples in Israel as well as to the recently-detected VDPV2 from environmental samples in London, UK.

New Yorkers should know that this does not imply that the individual case identified in New York has a travel history to Israel or the UK.

NYSDOH stated on August 1, 2022, that it continues to work with global, national, and local public health authorities to aggressively assess the spread of the poliovirus and ensure prevention measures, particularly vaccination clinics, are activated.

Rockland County currently has a polio vaccination rate of about 60% among two-year-olds compared to the statewide average of 79.1% in NY.

Polio is a severe and life-threatening disease, says the U.S. CDC.

The poliovirus is very contagious; individuals can transmit it even if they aren't sick.

Symptoms, which can be mild and flu-like, can take up to 30 days to appear, during which time an infected individual can be shedding the virus to others.

Some polio cases can result in paralysis or death.

While there is no treatment or cure for polio, it is preventable through safe and effective vaccination.

Any form of poliovirus anywhere in the world threatens children everywhere, says the WHO. 

It is critical that the GPEI Polio Eradication Strategy 2022-2026 is fully resourced and fully implemented to ensure a world free of all forms of poliovirus.

The CDC encourages pre-departure vaccinations for people visiting polio-endemic countries.

Polio vaccination news is posted at Vax-Before-Travel.

Note: The NY announcement was manually curated for international travelers.

A leading visa processing provider says visa application volumes between January and May 2022 grew by more than 100% compared to the same period last year.

Chris Dix of VFS Global stated in a press release on July 19, 2022, "With the opening of international borders, easing of travel restrictions, and the resumption of regular international flights, the industry is currently witnessing peak revenge-travel." 

"For example, India's visa applications are averaging more than 20,000 per day as we head into their July–August holiday season."

"These numbers include travelers visiting Canada, Europe, and the UK, along with other popular destinations."

"We also expect an extended summer travel season this year with planned international trips stretching to September 2022."

Commenting in the Henley Global Mobility Report 2022 Q3, Dr. Marie Owens Thomsen, Chief Economist at IATA, says, "By next year, many markets should see traffic reach or exceed pre-pandemic levels, while we expect this to be the case for the industry as a whole in 2024."

In the USA, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported on July 30, 2022, that airport activity is operating at about 89% of the activity seen in 2019.

Since June 1, 2022, TSA has screened an average of 2.27 million people daily, a 16% increase over last year's volumes.

But an 11% decrease from pre-pandemic 2019 levels when TSA screened approximately 2.56 million people on average per day.

So far in July 2022, TSA saw a surge in the number of people screened and anticipates sustained travel volumes throughout the summer.

Note: This information was translated and manually curated for international travelers.

To notify international travelers of their potential poliovirus risks when visiting Africa, the U.S. CDC recently reissued its Aler, Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions on July 27, 2022.

The CDC stated, 'Some international destinations in Africa are considered high-risk for polio.'

Before traveling to these destinations, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the entire routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine.

Furthermore, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series before traveling abroad.

While polio has been eradicated in the USA for decades, a few polio cases have been confirmed in people who traveled to certain countries. The CDC has identified countries throughout Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe during 2022.

For example, an unvaccinated man returned to Rockland County, NY, infected with polio in July 2022.

The NY state patient reportedly contracted a form of polio that can be traced back to the live, but weakened, poliovirus used in the oral polio vaccine (OPV).

Following the detection, the Global Polio Laboratory Network confirmed that the VDPV2 isolated from the NY case is genetically linked to two Sabin-like type 2 isolates collected from environmental samples in early June in both New York and Israel.

As well as the recently-detected VDPV2 from environmental samples in London.

The CDC says that polio is a crippling and potentially deadly disease that affects the nervous system.

Because the virus that causes polio lives in the feces of an infected person, people infected with polio can spread it when they do not wash their hands well after defecating.

People can also be infected if they drink water contaminated with infected feces.

This scenario recently became a reality in the London, England, area in July 2022, when poliovirus was identified in wastewater samples.

Most people with polio do not feel sick.

In rare cases, polio infection causes permanent loss of muscle function. Furthermore, polio can be fatal if the muscles used for breathing are paralyzed or if there is an infection of the brain, says the CDC.

The good news is polio is a vaccine-preventable disease.

While different polio vaccines are offered in various countries, most have proved effective. However, the OPV has not been used in the USA since 2000. 

In the USA, the IPOL vaccine is readily available.

Furthermore, certified travel clinics and pharmacies offer pre-departure travel vaccine counseling and vaccination services.

Other polio vaccine news is posted at this link.

Note: The CDC alert was manually curated for international travelers.

Peru's National Health Institute Director Victor Suarez confirmed the country is experiencing "community transmission" of the monkeypox virus, with 203 cases detected in 2022. 

TeleSur reported on July 26, 2022, that this monkeypox outbreak is concentrated in Lima and its neighboring province of Callao.

Most of those infected are men, about thirty-five years of age.

Peru's initial monkeypox patient was confirmed on June 26, 2022, and lives in Lima's Pueblo Libre district.

On July 1, 2022, Peru's government announced that the samples sequenced belong to the West African clade of monkeypox, whose lethality is lower (1%) compared to the Central African clade (3%).

To notify international travelers of their monkeypox risks, the U.S. CDC issued an Alert - Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions, that included Peru on June 2, 2022.

Additionally, the CDC has issued COVID-19 and Dengue alerts for Peru in 2022.

Other monkeypox outbreak news is posted on this weblink.

Note: This news was manually curated for mobile readership.