Health authorities in Argentina's Mendoza province have launched legal proceedings against 15 parents for failing to vaccinate their children. This unprecedented action comes as Argentina faces a significant decline in national immunization rates and a resurgence of preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough.
French vaccine company Valneva SE announced positive final Phase 2 results for its single-shot Chikungunya vaccine, IXCHIQ®, in children aged one to eleven. The trial demonstrated strong antibody persistence for 12 months and a favorable safety profile, supporting future Phase 3 development in this age group.
Brazil has launched the Wolbito do Brasil biofactory in Curitiba, the world's largest facility for breeding Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia. This innovative method aims to prevent the transmission of dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya viruses, with a capacity to produce billions of eggs annually and protect millions of people.
A CDC advisory panel, ACIP, voted 8-3 to change the universal recommendation for the newborn hepatitis B vaccine. The new guidance suggests individual decision-making for infants born to mothers negative for the virus, potentially delaying the first dose until two months of age. This marks a significant shift from the 1991 universal recommendation.
Cuba marked Latin American Medicine Day on December 3rd, celebrating the birth of pioneering scientist Dr. Carlos Juan Finlay, whose discovery of the Aedes aegypti mosquito as the yellow fever transmitting agent revolutionized tropical medicine. The nation honored its healthcare professionals and highlighted its significant contributions to global health and medical cooperation.
The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) has launched a new National Reference Center for Wastewater Monitoring. Operational since November 19, 2025, the center expands its surveillance to include SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A and B, and RSV, providing a crucial early warning system for public health in Austria.
Egypt has been validated by the World Health Organization (WHO) for eliminating trachoma, the leading infectious cause of avoidable blindness, as a public health problem. This achievement marks a significant public health victory, making Egypt the 27th country globally and the seventh in its region to reach this status.
A highly contagious bird infection, Newcastle disease, has been confirmed in a backyard poultry flock of 35 chickens in Talsi municipality, Latvia. This marks the first reported case in domestic birds in the country, leading to immediate culling of the affected flock and implementation of strict protection and monitoring zones by the Food and Veterinary Service.
South Africa's Department of Agriculture has initiated a comprehensive strategy to vaccinate its entire national cattle herd against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD). Minister John Steenhuisen announced the policy shift on November 26, 2025, aiming to combat severe outbreaks, secure 'freedom with vaccination' status from WOAH, and protect vital export markets.
Sweden has launched a new long-term national strategy against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), featuring 17 time-bound goals over ten years. The 'One Health' approach integrates human, animal, and environmental health sectors, aiming to preserve effective antibiotic treatments and reduce healthcare-associated infections.
Vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2) was found in a sewage sample from Yorkshire and the Humber on September 16, 2025. This marks the second such detection in the UK this year, prompting continued public health vigilance regarding polio vaccination.
UK Science Minister Patrick Vallance has confirmed that officials are actively working to resolve a significant drug pricing dispute with major pharmaceutical companies. The row, centered on the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access, and Growth (VPAG), has led to several firms withdrawing or pausing substantial investments in the UK, impacting jobs, research, and patient access to new medicines.
Wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) has been detected in a sewage sample in Hamburg, Germany, marking the first such detection in the country since environmental monitoring began in 2021. Health authorities, including the Robert Koch Institute, assess the risk to the general population as very low due to high vaccination rates, with no human cases reported.
India has launched the 383-crore National One Health Mission, a cross-ministerial initiative to integrate human, animal, and environmental health systems. Led by the ICMR, it aims to strengthen surveillance, research, and response to zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance.
A new clinical trial for the investigational drug FB102 has commenced in New South Wales and Queensland, aiming to provide a novel treatment for vitiligo. This autoimmune skin condition affects approximately 260,000 Australians, causing significant emotional and psychological distress due to visible skin depigmentation. The trial seeks to calm the immune response that attacks pigment-producing cells.
Danish vaccine company Bavarian Nordic has clarified details of its HERA framework agreement, confirming an initial order for 750,000 doses of its MVA-BN smallpox/mpox vaccine for delivery in 2026. This order is part of a broader European Commission procurement contract aimed at strengthening public health preparedness across Europe.
China's National Medical Products Administration has approved Pegbing, an injectable drug developed by Amoytop Biotech, as the world's first domestically developed drug designed to achieve a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B. This marks a significant advancement in the global fight against the liver infection.
More than 150 unvaccinated students in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, are under a 21-day quarantine after exposure to measles. This local action comes as the U.S. records its highest number of measles cases in over three decades, driven by declining vaccination rates.
The Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA) is set to launch its 2025 Flu Vaccination Campaign on October 13. The campaign targets individuals aged 50+, those with long-term conditions, pregnant women, and healthcare workers, offering vaccines at the Primary Care Centre, schools, and a Mobile Health Unit to enhance community protection.
Japan's Shimon Sakaguchi, alongside Americans Mary E. Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell, has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Their groundbreaking work on regulatory T cells and peripheral immune tolerance has revolutionized understanding of autoimmune diseases and opened new avenues for cancer and transplantation treatments.
