The 6.4 magnitude quake sparked fears of tsunamis in the Pacific, including Hawaii.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) sent the US state a tsunami bulletin in the wake of the quake, which occurred at a considerably depth of 124 miles.
The report to Hawaii said there were no fears of an imminent tsunami, despite the earthquake.
The PTWC said: “Based on all available data a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii.”
Vanuatu has a population of more than 250,000 people.
The quake occurred some 83 miles from the capital city of Port Vila.
While no reports have yet emerged from the country after the earthquake, the US Geological Society has warned the population are “highly vulnerable” to quakes.
Their website warns: “Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist.
“The predominant vulnerable building types are … wood construction.”
The island nation is located in the Ring of Fire, which stretches from Oceania to South America.
Due to tectonic plate placement it experiences the majority of the world’s biggest earthquakes and volcanoes.
An earthquake off the east coast of Japan occurred earlier today.
This is a breaking story, more to follow…