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Health Advice for Travellers
Swiss Expert Committee for Travel Medicine

 

Health Advice for Travellers
Swiss Expert Committee for Travel Medicine

 

Health Advice for Travellers
Swiss Expert Committee for Travel Medicine

From the PAHO epidemiological alert March 13, 2026: “In 2025, a total of 346 confirmed yellow fever cases and 143 deaths were reported across seven countries in the Region: Bolivia (8 cases, 2 deaths), Brazil (120 cases, 48 deaths), Colombia (125 cases, 46 deaths), Ecuador (11 cases, 8 deaths), Guyana (1 death), Peru (49 cases, 19 deaths), and Venezuela (32 cases, 19 deaths). During the first seven weeks of 2026, 34 human cases and 15 deaths have already been confirmed in Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela.

 

PAHO noted that the sylvatic transmission cycle of yellow fever, involving mosquito vectors and nonhuman primates as hosts, reactivates periodically in the region, which is an expected phenomenon. However, since late 2025, human cases have been detected in geographic areas without recent transmission and outside previously considered risk zones, such as São Paulo state in Brazil and the department of Tolima in Colombia.”

 

Most cases in 2025 and 2026 were reported in non-vaccinated people. 2025 is the year with the highest case numbers after the strong peaks in 2017 /2018. The figures result in a case-fatality rate of 41% in 2025.
PAHO recommends affected countries to maintain vaccination coverage of at least 95% in exposed populations.

 

Confirmed cases of yellow fever in humans by year in the Americas Region, between 2016 and 2026 (Source: 2026-march-13-phe-epidemiological-alert-yellow-fever-final.pdf):

 

PAHO.png

Vaccination against yellow fever is strongly recommended for travellers to areas at risk in South America, latest 10 days prior to arrival. Due to the expansion of areas with reported cases, the CDC adapted their risk map in 2025, see yellow-fever-south-america.png (1159×1500). Check country requirements!
PAHO, 13.3.2026
Various linked conflicts in the Middle East including environmental health risks due to strikes on energy and water desalination infrastructure in Iran and the Gulf countries coupled with jeopardized health infrastructure, increase the risk of acute respiratory and cardiovascular illness as well as the potential for water-borne illnesses across the region. 
Avoid all non-essential travel. 
WHO, 17.3.2026

As of 18 March 2026, an outbreak of 20 cases of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) – including two fatalities – have been reported in Kent (southern England). The cases were 17 – 21 years of age, some are students of the University of Kent. In addition, France reported to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) two confirmed cases who had attended the University of Kent. So far, six (of nine) cases have been confirmed to be meningococcal serogroup B. UKHSA investigations identified a nightclub in Canterbury as a possible exposure site between 5-7 March. A targeted vaccination program and provision of prophylactic antibiotics are underway through UKHSA and in close collaboration with the University of Kent and the aforementioned club.

 

Serogroup B accounted for 55% of IMD cases (total 2’263 cases, 202 fatalities) reported to ECDC in 2024. ECDC assesses the risk of IMD to the general population in the EU/EEA as very low. 

According to the Swiss vaccination plan 2026, vaccination against meningitis B is recommended as a complementary vaccination – the main objective is individual protection: at 2 – 3 months / 4 – 5 months and 12 – 18 months as well as for adolescents 11 – 15 years of age (2 doses). These vaccines can be combined with quadrivalent vaccines against MCV-ACWY. Catch-up vaccines against IMD are recommended up to 20th birthday.
ECDC, 18.3.2026

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