As the world has challenged/argued with the Covid-19 pandemic over the last two years, there has been an increase in vaccine misinformation. Although immunity against Covid-19 infection is limited to 4–6 months and requires at least three doses of vaccine to be maximally effective, the current vaccination campaign in industrialized countries shows that vaccinated citizens experience greater immunological protection against severe forms of the disease than unvaccinated citizens. A perusal of the literature was performed in order to reconstruct the communication methods applied in the managing of the Covid-19 pandemic; the management of the current pandemic was compared with the management of another scourge of the past: poliomyelitis. In order to raise public awareness on public health issues, it is essential that governments and institutions communicate scientific data to all sections of the population in an unambiguous way. In this sense, it is essential to apply “prebunking”, which is a layered defense system available to society that prevents misinformation before it is spread. This is to avoid the subsequent debunking of false information, which generates insecurity and fuels fears. Belief in medical misinformation represents a meaningful problem for public health efforts to fight Covid-19 through vaccination. In this sense an example of proper management of one of the many epidemics of the recent past, poliomyelitis, should make us reflect on the effectiveness of past approaches. This testimony from the past can provide us with food for thought regarding how to face the present Covid-19 pandemic and to prepare for the future. Certainly, it shows us how the awful pandemics/epidemics from the past was handled and finally overcome, despite perceived risk and vaccine hesitancy.

Measles, a highly contagious and dangerous disease that can cause disability or even death, remains endemic in Ukraine. This is a serious public health problem that absolutely needs to be monitored. Indeed, in the years 2017-2019, Ukraine was hit by a major measles epidemic, which caused serious problems for the population. The numerous efforts to contain the spread of measles in the country are now waning in the face of a devastating war, which has already lasted for over a year, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which has further complicated the general situation. In this paper, the authors highlight a very serious public health problem and invoke the immediate implementation of an effective vaccination policy. The percentages of measles vaccination coverage in Ukraine have decreased drastically since the beginning of the conflict (which began on February 24, 2022), and this is a source of concern regarding the possibility of a new major measles epidemic. Indeed, a measles epidemic at this time would have frightening consequences, given the conditions in which the Ukrainian population is now living. The United Nations estimates that at least 6 million people have been displaced within Ukraine as a result of the conflict, and this internal mass exodus has significantly affected vaccination coverage and adherence to vaccination schedules, despite the efforts of the Ukrainian health authorities. The ministry of health has prioritized vaccination programs with the help of the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, which are ensuring the free supply and delivery of vaccines through the deployment of mobile vaccination teams, even in areas where health facilities are not accessible. The main objective is to vaccinate as many people as possible in order to avoid a new epidemic, which could spread to the whole of Ukraine and also to other countries.

War, hunger, and disease continue to decimate the populations of many countries in the world. Owing to conflicts, environmental instability and natural disasters, many people, especially the poorest, fall victim to epidemic diseases. One such disease, cholera, began to spread again in 2022, striking Lebanon and Syria, countries that have experienced serious social troubles for years. The return of cholera immediately alarmed the scientific community, which is now making every effort, most notably by implementing a major vaccination campaign, to prevent this disease from becoming endemic in these two countries, thus making them a reservoir for its potential spread in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Cholera is a disease that draws its strength from poor hygiene, primitive sanitation and the consumption of contaminated water and food. From the 19^th Century onwards, its spread was facilitated by overcrowded housing and lack of hygiene, which became commonplace features of urban life. In outlining the spread of cholera in Lebanon and Syria, the authors raise the question of the possible resurgence of epidemic cholera, especially in the light of the consequences of the devastating earthquake that hit the border area between Turkey and Syria last February. These events have had a devastating effect on the population, destroying, among other things, the few existing health facilities and aggravating the already difficult living conditions of millions of people who, owing to the ongoing war, have been living for years in makeshift settlements, bereft of water, sanitation and any form of health care.