Pakistan's Lower South Waziristan region has witnessed a sharp rise in measles cases during the current year, sparking public health concerns in the tribal district, local media reported on Monday.

As per the official data shared by the health department, more than 850 measles cases have so far been reported in Lower South Waziristan, with the most impacted areas being Wana, Toi Khulla, Birmal, and Shakai tehsils, Pakistan's leading daily Dawn reported. Health officials said that the increase in measles cases is due to low vaccination coverage and vaccine hesitancy among patients, especially in remote and mountainous areas of the district.

Speaking to leading Pakistani daily Dawn, Hameedullah, coordinator of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) in Lower South Waziristan, said that most of infected children had not been vaccinated against measles vaccine, leaving them vulnerable to the outbreak.

A premature baby infected with measles has died in Alberta, marking the province's first measles-related death and the second nationwide since the start of Canada's ongoing outbreak, local media reported.

Adriana LaGrange, Alberta's minister of primary and preventative health services, said in an emailed statement she was "saddened" to confirm the death.

Children under five, pregnant people and those with weak immune systems face the highest risk from measles, LaGrange said. She urged anyone planning a pregnancy to ensure they have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine beforehand, as vaccination is not recommended during pregnancy.

The country's first recent measles death was reported in Ontario in June, when another prematurely born baby died of the disease.

Pertussis, or whooping cough, in young infants can be life-threatening, according to a study, which stressed the need for maternal vaccination during pregnancy.

Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial respiratory infection that causes severe coughing fits and is often followed by a high-pitched "whoop" sound as the person inhales. It can last for months in both adults and children.

"Pertussis symptoms are different in infants," said leading author Caitlin Li, infectious diseases specialist at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is in the process of identifying land on the city’s outskirts to house up to 500 aggressive, rabid, or suspected rabid dogs, in compliance with a Supreme Court directive issued on August 22.

The court had ordered that such animals must be kept in dedicated facilities rather than being released back onto the streets.

It also directed civic bodies to earmark a single designated feeding point in every ward for strays, where food can be provided under regulated conditions.

While the new facility is still being planned, GCC has released updates on its broader stray dog control and rabies-prevention initiatives.

Israel's Health Ministry reported 481 new measles cases, bringing the total to 1,251 since the outbreak started in early April.

The ministry estimates that between 2,250 and 3,950 people may have been infected, based on high hospitalisation rates and reports from the community. Currently, 29 patients are still hospitalised, most of them under the age of six. Five are in intensive care, including one receiving ECMO support.

The outbreak has resulted in the deaths of two unvaccinated boys, aged 18 months and two years, respectively.

In May, roughly a month after the outbreak began, the ministry launched a nationwide vaccination campaign, during which more than 142,000 doses were administered.

Common respiratory infections, including Covid-19 and influenza, can awaken dormant breast cancer cells that have spread to the lungs, setting the stage for new metastatic tumours, according to a new study.

The findings published in the journal Nature, based on mouse studies as well as meta-analysis of human patients, support research showing increases in death and metastatic lung disease among cancer survivors infected with SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus that causes Covid.

"Our findings indicate that individuals with a history of cancer may benefit from taking precautions against respiratory viruses, such as vaccination when available, and discussing any concerns with their health care providers," said Julio Aguirre-Ghiso, from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, US.

As more laboratory-confirmed mpox cases continue to be detected in South Africa, the National Department of Health has announced plans to commence vaccination to curb the spread of the disease.

"Vaccination helps control the spread of this preventable and manageable disease, with vaccinated individuals being protected from infection and from developing severe complications," Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale said on Wednesday.

Following the recent detection of two new cases in the Western Cape and Gauteng, the department said the mpox vaccine would be made available in the three most affected provinces, including KwaZulu-Natal.

More than 14 million children worldwide did not receive a single dose of any vaccine in 2024, according to new national immunisation coverage data released on Tuesday by the UN agencies World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.

The report showed that nearly 20 million infants missed at least one dose of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP)-containing vaccine last year, threatening to unwind decades of progress.

More than 30 million children also remained under-protected against measles, leading to more large or disruptive outbreaks.

In 2024, the number of countries experiencing large or disruptive measles outbreaks rose sharply to 60, nearly doubling from 33 in 2022.

The number of measles cases in the United States has hit the highest level in more than 30 years, according to the data released by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A total of 1,288 measles cases have been confirmed in the country, with 13 per cent of cases hospitalised, so far in 2025, making it the worst year since 1992, when 2,126 cases were confirmed.

The cases were reported across 38 states nationwide, with 753 in Texas alone, according to the CDC.

There have been 27 outbreaks reported in 2025, and 88 per cent of confirmed cases are outbreak-associated, said the CDC, adding that 92 per cent of these cases are either unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.

Extensive studies undertaken by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have conclusively established no link between Covid-19 vaccines and sudden deaths, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Wednesday.

Post the Covid pandemic several cases of heart attack-related death among people, especially the young were reported from across the country, and suggested a link with Covid vaccinations.

The Ministry noted that sudden cardiac deaths can result from a wide range of factors, including genetics, lifestyle, pre-existing conditions, and post-Covid complications, but not from Covid vaccines that have been found safe.

Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel on Thursday launched a state-level Td (Tetanus and Diphtheria) and DPT (Triple Antigen) immunisation campaign from Unjha in Mehsana district.

The campaign aims to protect children and adolescents from life-threatening diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, pneumonia, and others.

Under this public health initiative, 992 Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) teams will conduct vaccination sessions across 47,439 schools, targeting an estimated 18.2 lakh students.

In addition, around 6.1 lakh children in approximately 39,045 Anganwadis will receive the second dose of the DPT booster as per the national immunisation schedule.

The campaign is part of India’s Universal Immunisation Programme, which has, since 2019, included Td vaccines for adolescents aged 10 and 16.

Vaccinated patients hospitalised with Covid-19 who developed acute kidney injury had better outcomes than unvaccinated patients with the same condition, according to new research on Friday.

The study led by researchers from the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) showed that patients with prior vaccination were less likely to stay on dialysis after discharge, and more likely to survive than unvaccinated patients.

Acute kidney injury, or AKI, is common among people infected with Covid, with rates running as high as 46 per cent. It can lead to a mild decrease in kidney function or, if severe enough, to dialysis. The long-term renal and survival outcomes of these patients, however, have not been well understood.

The United States has reported 1,024 measles cases so far in 2025, marking a sharp increase from previous years, according to the latest data released by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A total of 14 measles outbreaks have been recorded nationwide this year. The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more related cases.

Confirmed infections have been reported across 31 US jurisdictions, with 128 hospitalisations and three deaths recorded, the CDC said.

Approximately 96 per cent of the cases occurred in individuals who were either unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown.

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is set to launch a comprehensive mass vaccination campaign for stray dogs across the city starting in July, officials said.

Targeting an estimated 1.8 lakh stray dogs, the drive will go beyond the routine anti-rabies immunisation to include protection against four other major diseases -- canine distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus, and leptospirosis.

GCC Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran confirmed that the civic body is awaiting the delivery of 20,000 doses of a five-in-one vaccine from the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation. Each dose, priced at approximately Rs 200, is formulated to protect against all five diseases.

“This marks the second time we are administering non-rabies vaccines to stray dogs in Chennai,” said Kamal Hussain, GCC’s veterinary officer.

He added that the vaccinations will be carried out alongside the annual rabies shots and sterilisation procedures, forming a comprehensive healthcare plan for the city’s stray canine population.

The increasing number of rabies-related deaths in Kerala has emerged as a serious public health challenge, underscoring the urgent need for proactive and preventive measures.

In response, the association calls for the initiation and institutionalisation of a universal pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) rabies vaccination programme, with a particular focus on children and other high-risk groups.

Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) chief Sunil PK on Tuesday said that though Kerala has made commendable progress in rabies control through dog vaccination, public awareness campaigns, and the widespread availability of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), to achieve the goal of zero rabies deaths, it is essential to adopt a preventive strategy that includes pre-exposure immunisation.

Vaccinating pregnant women against whooping cough can boost the quantity and quality of antibodies in the early life of infants, according to a study.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory infection characterised by severe coughing spells that can end in a high-pitched "whoop" when inhaling. It is caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis.

Despite extensive vaccinations, the disease has resurged. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are 16 million cases annually and approximately 195,000 deaths in children globally.

Researchers at the University of Turku in Finland conducted a randomised, controlled, double-blind, phase 4 trial in Gambia to evaluate the effect of pertussis immunisation in pregnancy.

The US is experiencing a sharp resurgence of measles, with 935 confirmed cases reported so far this year -- more than triple the total for all of 2024, according to the latest data by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A total of 12 measles outbreaks have been recorded nationwide this year. The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more connected cases, news agency reported.

This year's case count represents a significant surge from 2024 when 285 measles cases were recorded in the country for the entire year.

The CDC emphasises that the best way to prevent measles is through vaccination. Two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine are highly effective in preventing the disease.

The US declared measles eliminated 25 years ago, but the growing outbreak of the disease centered in West Texas poses a threat to this status and signals the possibility of measles becoming more common, media reported.

"The Texas outbreak, which began in late January, has sickened more than 700 people, hospitalised dozens and spread to other states. Measles has taken its first lives in the US in over a decade," noted the Wall Street Journal report on Wednesday.

Some public health leaders and epidemiologists say it is possible the months-long Texas outbreak could last longer than a year, endangering the US's status, it added.

The US achieved the elimination milestone in 2000 after widespread vaccination efforts inoculated the vast majority of children with the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine, news agency reported.

The United States has reported 884 confirmed measles cases so far this year, marking a sharp increase compared to the previous year, according to the latest data released by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

So far in 2025, 11 measles outbreaks have been recorded nationwide. The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more related cases. Confirmed cases have been reported across 30 US jurisdictions, with 94 hospitalisations and three deaths attributed to the disease.

This year's measles case count represents a significant rise from 2024, when the country reported a total of 285 measles cases.

The CDC emphasises that the best way to prevent measles is through vaccination. Two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine are highly effective in preventing the disease, news agency reported.

Young children with chronic conditions are more likely to be hospitalised for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) than healthy children, according to a new study on Friday.

The study led by researchers from the University of British Columbia in Canada showed that toddlers with chronic conditions are hospitalised for RSV at twice the rate of healthy toddlers.

The risk was highest for children born very prematurely under 28 weeks of gestation, or with conditions affecting multiple organs, the lungs, heart, or digestive system.

Researchers recommend that children with those specific conditions receive immunisation against RSV in their first season to increase protection, even if their mother was vaccinated.

Current guidelines suggest pregnant women should receive vaccination before birth to pass on antibodies.

The US may be on the brink of a major measles resurgence as vaccination rates continue to fall across several states, according to a new study.

A team of US-based researchers from the universities of Stanford, Baylor, Rice, and Texas used a simulation model to assess the importation and dynamic spread of vaccine-preventable infectious diseases across 50 states in the country, news agency reported.

The model evaluated scenarios with different vaccination rates over 25 years.

At current vaccination levels, the model projects that measles could regain endemic status in the US, potentially resulting in approximately 851,300 cases over the next 25 years, according to the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

As many as 561 measles cases have been confirmed in the second largest US state of Texas, as the outbreak continues to grow nationwide, according to figures issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).

As many as 20 new cases were reported over the last five days, and at least 58 patients associated with measles have been hospitalised so far, said the DSHS.

"Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in the outbreak area and the surrounding communities," the DSHS said on Tuesday.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday confirmed 712 measles cases this year in at least 24 states, about 97 per cent of them are in people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.

A team of US researchers have developed a new antiviral chewing gum that showed the potential to substantially reduce viral loads of two herpes simplex viruses and two influenza A strains in experimental models.

Seasonal influenza epidemics occur annually, causing a substantial global disease burden. The herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), spread primarily through oral contact, infects over two-thirds of the global population.

Low vaccination rates for influenza viruses and the lack of an HSV vaccine underscore the need for a new approach.

Babies treated with antibiotics in the first few weeks of their life are likely to show weaker immune responses to essential vaccines taken in childhood, according to a study.

Researchers from Flinders University in Australia explained that this is due to a decrease in the levels of Bifidobacterium -- a bacterial species that lives in the human gastrointestinal tract.

On the other hand, replenishing Bifidobacterium in the gut microbiome using probiotic supplements such as Infloran showed promising results in restoring the immune response, revealed the study published in the journal Nature.

The Ethiopian government has launched a cholera vaccination campaign in the southwestern part of the country, targeting about one million people at risk.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health said the vaccination will be conducted in all zones of the country's Gambella Region and refugee camps during the coming week.

It came as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and various other humanitarian agencies called for concerted efforts to contain the "rapidly spreading" cholera outbreak across the Gambella Region, bordering South Sudan.

Ethiopian Minister of Health Mekdes Daba, addressing the launch event, said that in addition to expanding access to cholera vaccines, maintaining environmental and personal hygiene are essential proactive measures to prevent cholera outbreaks.

The United States is grappling with a significant increase in measles cases, US health authorities have said.

The number of infections in early 2025 has already exceeded the entire 2024 total, according to the latest data from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As of March 28, 2025, the CDC reported 483 confirmed measles cases across 20 states, among them 2 dead and 70 hospitalised, while only 285 cases were reported in 33 states during the entire year of 2024.

Texas is experiencing the most severe outbreak as 400 cases have been identified since late January, and 41 of the patients have been hospitalised, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Surveillance and vigilance are necessary to ensure South-East Asia region remains polio-free, said the World Health Organization on the 11th anniversary of being certified polio-free on Thursday.

Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children under 5 years of age. The highly transmissible virus invades the nervous system to cause paralysis.

In a historic milestone, 11 years ago on March 27, 2014, the WHO South-East Asia Region was certified as free of all types of wild polioviruses.

Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia stated that eradication of polio in the SE Asia region was a “daunting and uphill task” and “required relentless effort and innovative strategies”.

Pakistan has reported 71 cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in 2024, the National Institute of Health (NIH) said.

The 71st case was confirmed on Tuesday and involved a boy from Jacobabad district in the country's southern Sindh province, with symptoms first appearing on December 27, 2024, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the NIH said on Wednesday.

The institute said that the distribution of cases includes 27 from Balochistan, 21 each from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme has intensified its efforts to combat the resurgence of WPV1.

According to the NIH, the programme conducts multiple vaccination drives annually, delivering vaccines directly to households, news agency reported.

South Sudan's health ministry said that it has rolled out a week-long campaign aimed at vaccinating more than 300,000 people against cholera in Rubkona, a hotspot county in Unity State.

The ministry said the campaign, backed by the World Health Organization, United Nations Children's Fund, Medecins Sans Frontieres and various other partners, is an important step to curb the ongoing outbreak and brings the total number of counties where the vaccination campaign has been conducted to four nationwide.

South Sudan's Vice President for Service Cluster Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, who spoke during the launch, expressed the government's commitment to fully combat the outbreak and ensure effective measures are implemented to stop the spread of the disease.

"The rollout of the cholera vaccine nationwide is part of the broader government efforts aimed at combating the cholera outbreak and saving lives," Akol said in a statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

The Afghan caretaker government's Ministry of Public Health on Monday announced a three-day vaccination campaign aimed at protecting 4.8 million children under the age of five from poliovirus.

Running from Monday to Wednesday, the campaign will provide anti-polio drops to children in 11 out of the country's 34 provinces, said Sharafat Zaman Amarkhil, spokesperson for the ministry.

In his message, Amarkhil urged tribal elders, religious scholars, and parents to actively participate and fully cooperate with polio workers to implement the campaign appropriately, news agency reported.

On October 28, the Afghan caretaker government's Ministry of Public Health announced a three-day vaccination campaign aimed at protecting 6.2 million children under the age of five from poliovirus.

A policeman was killed in firing by unknown gunmen in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police officers said on Monday.

A polio worker was also critically injured when some unknown armed persons attacked a polio vaccination team in Shakarkhel area of Karak district of the province.

The attackers fled the scene after carrying out the attack, and a search operation was underway to arrest the culprits, police said.

Following the incident, a heavy contingent of police reached the area. Security forces cordoned off the area and launched an investigation into the attack, news agency reported.

Earlier, the Pakistani government launched a fresh nationwide anti-polio campaign after cases rose to 63 so far in 2024.

At least 12,847 children aged 11 have been vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) as part of Mongolia's nationwide campaign, as per the country's Health Ministry, reports said.

The vaccination drive, officially launched late last month, aims to combat cervical cancer -- a significant public health concern in Mongolia.

Hospitals across the country are offering free HPV vaccinations to 11-year-old girls and boys with parental or guardian consent, following the government's decision in December 2023 to include the HPV vaccine in the National Immunisation Schedule for this age group, news agency reported citing local media.

According to the ministry, there are more than 78,600 children aged 11 in Mongolia, a country with a population of 3.5 million, eligible for the vaccination campaign.

Armed men attacked policemen providing security for polio vaccination workers in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing a police officer and injuring another, police officials said on Tuesday.

The incident took place when a group of terrorists opened fire on the anti-polio team in the Dabori area of Orakzai district of the province, police sources in the area told.

Police said that two terrorists were also killed in the ensuing exchange of fire between the security forces and the attackers, adding that the law enforcers have launched an operation in the surrounding areas to arrest those who fled from the scene of the combat.

No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack as yet, news agency reported.

An immediate ceasefire is needed in the Gaza Strip as the enclave faces the additional threat of polio spreading, if the final phase of a vaccination campaign there continues to be delayed, an UN agency warned on Thursday.

The third and final phase of the polio vaccination campaign, which was set to start on Wednesday in Gaza, had to be postponed due to the escalating violence, intense bombardment, mass displacement orders, and lack of assured humanitarian pauses.

"It is imperative to stop the polio outbreak in Gaza before more children are paralysed and the virus spreads," said Louise Wateridge, spokesperson for the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). "The vaccination campaign must be facilitated in the north through the implementation of humanitarian pauses."

Rwandan Minister of Health Sabin Nsanzimana said that there have been no new infections of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in the country for the past five days, indicating significant progress in the fight against the deadly virus.

Nsanzimana provided this update during a press conference in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, as the country continues its efforts to contain the spread of the virus.

"Among the 62 individuals who contracted the disease, approximately 15 have succumbed to it, while most of the patients have recovered. Currently, only three individuals remain in treatment. Two of the patients who have been on intubation for more than ten days have been extubated, which is the best news you can get in the medical profession," he said.

Nsanzimana added that this marks the first time patients with Marburg have been extubated in Africa, highlighting the potential for recovery even after contracting the virus, news agency reported.