PAHO warns COP30 attendees to check their vaccines and take extra health precautions against yellow fever and measles ahead of the climate summit in Belém.
Ahead of COP30, scheduled from November 10 to 21, 2025, in Belém, Brazil, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has issued a health advisory urging the more than 60,000 expected participants to update their vaccines against yellow fever and measles.
The global climate summit will draw delegates from 198 countries to a region considered at high epidemiological risk due to its Amazonian location.
Yellow fever, a severe mosquito-borne viral disease, remains a serious health concern across the Americas. So far in 2025, 294 human cases and 121 deaths have been reported in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, and Peru.
Although Belém has not recorded any recent infections, its proximity to endemic zones keeps authorities on alert. The illness can cause high fever, liver failure, and death in up to 50% of severe cases.
Measles has also reemerged as a major global threat, with 177,000 infections and over 12,000 cases in the Americas by mid-October, mostly among unvaccinated populations. Brazil has reported 35 cases this year, none in Belém, but PAHO continues to stress the importance of prevention through timely vaccines.
Ajude a espalhar esse recado para os pais e mães de plantão! 🗣️
— Governo do Brasil (@govbr) October 14, 2025
🗓️ Estamos convocando todas as crianças e adolescentes de até 15 anos para atualizarem as suas cadernetas de vacinação até 31 de outubro. As prioridades são os não vacinados contra HPV, febre amarela e sarampo.
👇 pic.twitter.com/iQudEsTFJv
PAHO recommends that unvaccinated travelers receive a yellow fever shot at least ten days before their trip and the MMR vaccine for measles no later than fifteen days in advance. Both vaccines may be administered simultaneously or four weeks apart. For individuals over 60, yellow fever vaccination should be preceded by a medical risk-benefit assessment.
The organization also called on health systems across the region to strengthen epidemiological surveillance and ensure vaccine availability during and after the COP30 summit.
Officials should remain alert to symptoms such as fever, rash, or jaundice in returning participants. According to PAHO, proactive prevention and updated vaccines are essential to safeguard public health during one of the world’s most significant climate gatherings.
