Travel Vaccine Breaking News

According to the WHO Regional Office for Africa, African countries that have performed the best in vaccinating their populations against COVID-19 had finalized their national vaccine deployment plans before the first COVID-19 vaccines had arrived.

In a commentary published in the journal Nature on January 3, 2022, John N Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, called for African countries to increase investment in health and ultimately reconfigure their public health approach towards one of self-reliance.

One exception is the developers of Corbevax, a recombinant protein vaccine shown in unpublished phase 3 trials to be highly efficacious against symptomatic infection with the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain and the delta variant.

The vaccine was developed as a prototype with no patent by researchers in Houston, Texas, with the technology then transferred without payment to vaccine manufacturers in several countries, including Botswana.

Notably, the vaccine is based on the same low-cost technology as the hepatitis B vaccine that has been in use for 40 years.

This approach will provide gains not only for COVID-19 control but also for other endemic infectious diseases, such as yellow fever, polio, malaria, measles, and monkeypox.

The U.S. CDC publishes various Travel Advisories for disease outbreaks in Africa. A list of destinations is found on this CDC webpage.

According to a new video published by the U.S Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on January 4, 2022, from bear spray to meth-rritos, officers found some genuinely unusual items attempting to pass through airport screening.

TSA's Top 10 Catches of 2021 can be viewed at this YouTube link.

David P. Pekoske, the Administrator of the TSA, is responsible for a workforce of approximately 60,000 employees charged with protecting U.S. transportation systems and the traveling public. 

The Aviation and Transportation Security Act was signed on November 19, 2001, establishing the TSA.

The U.S. Department of State issued a Level 4 Travel Advisory on January 10, 2022, that says 'Do not travel to Jamaica due to COVID-19 related conditions.'

To fully inform travelers, the U.S. CDC recently issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice for Jamaica due to COVID-19, indicating a moderate level of COVID-19 in the country. 

In addition, the new State Department advisory says 'exercise increase caution in Jamaica due to crime. Some areas have increased risk. U.S. government personnel are prohibited from traveling to locations listed below, using public buses, and driving outside of prescribed Kingston regions at night.

Do not travel to areas in Kingston, Montego Bay, and Spanish Town due to crime.

Violent crimes are common, such as home invasions, armed robberies, and homicides. Sexual assaults frequently occur, including at all-inclusive resorts, says the State Department.

Furthermore, local police lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents.

As a result, emergency services vary throughout the island, and response times may differ from U.S. standards.

U.S. citizens who travel abroad should always have a contingency plan for emergencies and enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.

The U.S. Embassy Kingston is located at 142 Old Hope Road, Jamaica, West Indies.

Note, as of January 10, 2022, all air passengers two years or older with a flight departing from a foreign country to the U.S. are required to show a negative COVID-19 viral test result taken no more than one day before travel or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days, before they board their flight. 

TASS reported on January 14, 2022, Israel has canceled the 3-day quarantine and follow-up PCR test for tourists vaccinated with the Sputnik V vaccine.

And Israel has begun to consider Russian-issued certificates of using the single-dose Sputnik Light as a booster jab, the Russian embassy to Israel confirmed.

"A three-day mandatory quarantine and a follow-up PCR testing have been canceled."

"Thus, the period of obligatory self-isolation for tourists vaccinated with Sputnik V will be over upon the receipt of positive serological and negative PCR tests taken upon arrival at the airport and cannot exceed 24 hours," it said.

Israel initially accepted Sputnik V vaccinated travelers in October 2021.

Currently, the Sputnik V vaccine has been deployed in over 70 countries and the Sputnik Light vaccine in twenty-six countries.

In 2021, about 100 million Sputnik V and Sputnik Light vaccines were distributed to various countries.

As of January 15, 2022, the U.S. government had not recognized either Sputnik vaccine.

Canadian Ministers Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Omar Alghabra, and Marco Mendicino issued the following statement on January 13, 2022.

"...as of January 15, 2022, certain categories of travelers who are currently exempt from entry requirements will only be allowed to enter Canada if they are fully vaccinated with one of the vaccines approved for entry into Canada."

These groups include several essential service providers, including truck drivers.

A Canadian truck driver who is not fully vaccinated can't be denied entry into Canada.

However, starting January 15, unvaccinated Canadian truck drivers entering Canada will need to meet requirements for pre-entry, arrival, and Day 8 testing, as well as quarantine requirements.

The final decision regarding entry and quarantine is made by a government representative at the port of entry, based on the information presented to them at the time.

And as of January 15, unvaccinated or partially vaccinated foreign national truck drivers coming to Canada from the U.S. by land will be directed back to the United States.

To qualify as a fully vaccinated traveler and to enter Canada, foreign national truck drivers must:

• have received at least two doses of a vaccine accepted for travel, a mix of two accepted vaccines,
• or at least one dose of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine,
• have received their second dose at least 14 full days before entering Canada.

Furthermore, any symptomatic individual upon arrival to Canada will be directed to a Public Health Agency of Canada official and will be directed to isolate for ten days from the time symptoms first occurred.

"The Government of Canada's response to the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to prioritize the health and safety of Canadians. As vaccination levels, case counts, and hospitalization rates evolve, the Government of Canada will continue to consider further targeted measures at the borders—and when to lift or adjust them—to keep Canadians safe," stated these Canadian Ministers.

Previously, the U.S. CDC issued a Level 4 Advisory saying 'avoid traveling to Canada.'

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published updated, color-code maps supporting the Council Recommendation on a coordinated approach to travel measures in the EU.

Areas are marked in the following colors: 

• Red: if the 14-day cumulative COVID-19 case notification rate ranges from 75 to 200 and the test positivity rate of tests for COVID-19 infection is 4% or more, or if the 14-day cumulative COVID-19 case notification rate is more than 200 but less than 500.
• Dark red: if the 14-day cumulative COVID-19 case notification rate is 500 or more
• Grey: if there is insufficient information or if the testing rate is lower than 300 cases per 100 000.

The ECDC also published a data dashboard identifying SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest and concern in Europe.

As of January 13, 2022, the ECDC reported 69% of Europeans had been fully vaccinated against cOVID-19. 

The U.S. CDC issued a Level 1 Travel Advisory on January 4, 2022, confirming 'Dengue is an ongoing risk in many parts of Asia and the Pacific Islands.

And people visiting Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka should prevent mosquito bites by using an EPA-registered insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors, and sleeping in an air-conditioned room or room with window screens or under an insecticide-treated bed net.

Dengue is a disease caused by a virus spread through mosquito bites. The disease can take up to two weeks to develop, with illness generally lasting less than a week.

Health effects from Dengue include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, rash, muscle and joint pain, and minor bleeding. And Dengue can become severe within a few hours. Severe Dengue is a medical emergency, usually requiring hospitalization.

Health effects can include bleeding, shock, organ failure, and death in severe cases.

Dengue vaccine information is posted on this Vax-Before-Travel webpage.