On Monday, 12 January 2026, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) updated its travel health notice for chikungunya fever. PHAC elevated the risk to ‘Level 2 – Practise enhanced precautions’ for the 3 countries, namely Cuba, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This was subsequent to each of these mentioned countries reporting a case count above seasonal norms.
This notice encourages Canadians to delay non-essential travel, especially if pregnant. It also underscores the availability of a newly approved preventive Canadian vaccine. It also alerted travellers that mosquito bite prevention remains the 1st line of defence.
From a global-mobility viewpoint, this refreshed alert materialises at a sensitive period of time. This is due to Canadian mining, agribusiness, and IT firms having ramped up projects in South Asia and the Caribbean. It is also part of the 2026 expansion plans. We are advising employers with expatriates or rotational staff in the affected countries to schedule pre-departure medical consultations up to 6 weeks in advance. They have been asked to review their corporate vaccination subsidies. Additionally, they should make sure that they have access to DEET-based repellents, in addition to choosing air-conditioned lodging.
Insurers assert that vaccine availability may become an underwriting need for long-term overseas postings. It is similar to the yellow fever guidelines. Travel-management companies (TMCs) are supporting the advisory on the online reservation tools. So assignees acknowledge the heightened risk before moving to the next stage of ticket issuance. Consular officials warn that chikungunya symptoms often initially mimic dengue. As such, misdiagnoses are likely to delay care and so complicate repatriation clearance.
At an early documentation stage, trusted facilitators such as VisaHQ are likely to lighten the administrative workload. Through its Canadian portal, VisaHQ typically provides live updates on visa requirements. This offer includes digital application tools and passport courier services for the three listed countries, Bangladesh, Cuba, Sri Lanka, and many other jurisdictions. They also provide support that aligns with the health-risk mitigation steps mentioned earlier.
PHAC’s notice also serves as a compliance guideline. Guided by the Canadian Labour Code, federally regulated employers are required to account for location-specific health hazards in workplace-safety assessments. Organisations that neglect to brief their employees on PHAC guidelines may face liability, especially if a preventable illness leads to disability claims.
