Rates of measles infections have spiked among an Orthodox Jewish community in London’s NE, mirroring the outbreak in New York’s Rockland county which was sparked by unvaccinated travellers arriving from Israel (and more recently in Brooklyn and Queens with health authorities declaring on Apr 9 that every adult and child without a medical exemption who lives, works or resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and has not received the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to be vaccinated or face a $1,000 fine). Over 320 cases have been reported in Hackney and Haringey since October. More on the current situation in the US, with four more states reporting their first cases for the year - Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts and Nevada. While in Europe, Bulgaria has seen a 2-fold increase in cases over the past month with highest incidence reported in Blagoevgrad and Sofia; and in the Czech Republic, Prague has experienced a year-on-year rise in measles infections. Outbreaks continue in the Asian region with news from Vietnam that this year’s total of measles cases in Ho Chi Minh City is almost double that of 2018 with the current tally of suspected cases now at 3,316. There have been no further updates from the Philippines since Mar 26 when reports showed there had been 25,676 measles cases and 355 deaths – the median age was 3yo, 54% of cases were under 5 and 53% of cases were male. In South Korea, one measles infection imported from Vietnam by an unvaccinated young girl in Daejeon (South Chungcheong province) has spread to seven other children who were in the same hospital ward, while over 4,000 people who had come into contact with 25 measles-infected healthcare workers in a hospital in Anyang (Gyeonggi Province) are being monitored for signs of measles infection. Of Hong Kong’s 62 confirmed measles infections this year (aged from 8 months to 49yo), 28 are from a cluster associated with airline workers or people who worked at the HKG airport. In other regions, the majority of Tunisia’s 2,000 measles cases have been in the states of Kasserine and Sfax. Four measles infections have been diagnosed in Mt Maunganui on New Zealand's Bay of Plenty while Auckland’s total has risen to 15; there has been no further increase in reported measles cases in Christchurch. Other updates have been summarised by ProMED.
Advice for travellers
A highly contagious virus, measles occurs in developing and developed countries. While generally benign, infection can result in severe illness or death. Travelvax Australia recommends travellers check their immunisation status for measles and other childhood diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough (pertussis) and mumps at least 6 weeks before departure.
Before you travel, call Travelvax Australia’s telephone advisory service on 1300 360 164 (toll-free from landlines) for country-specific advice and information. You can also make an appointment at your nearest Travelvax clinic to obtain vaccinations, medication to prevent or treat illness, and accessories for your journey.