Department Of Health Issues Measles Advisory

The Department of Health said they wish to “remind the community of the importance of knowing your immunization status regarding measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases. ”

A spokesperson said, “This comes in the wake of a health advisory this month from the Centers for Disease Control [CDC] stating that the United States is experiencing a “large multi-state measles outbreak” that started in California in December 2014 and has spread to six additional states and Mexico.

“The initial confirmed case-patients reported visiting Disneyland Resort Theme Parks in Orange County, CA, from December 28, 2014 through January 21, 2015. So far 51 confirmed cases of measles linked to this outbreak have been reported to CDC.

“The CDC advisory said:

At this time, no source case for the outbreak has been identified, but it is likely that a traveler [or more than one traveler] who was infected with measles overseas visited one or both of the Disney parks in December during their infectious period. The current multi-state outbreak underscores the ongoing risk of importation of measles, the need for high measles vaccine coverage, and the importance of a prompt and appropriate public health response to measles cases and outbreaks.

“Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, because of high population immunity achieved by high 2-dose measles vaccine coverage and a highly effective measles vaccine. No cases of measles have been identified in Bermuda since 1990. Since then, there have been no cases of measles in Bermuda. However, measles is still endemic in many parts of the world, and outbreaks can occur in the U.S. when unvaccinated groups are exposed to imported measles virus.

“Measles typically begins with high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. Two or three days after symptoms begin, tiny white spots [Koplik spots] may appear inside the mouth. Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash breaks out. It usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet.

“Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots. The spots may become joined together as they spread from the head to the rest of the body. When the rash appears, a person’s fever may spike to more than 104° Fahrenheit. After a few days, the fever subsides and the rash fades.

“Measles may cause serious complications such as pneumonia or encephalitis [inflammation of the brain] and is still common in many parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, the Pacific and Africa. Worldwide about 20 million people get measles each year.

“Measles spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes and easily spreads to unvaccinated people. So you can get measles if you are in the same room or place as an infected person and even after they leave the measles virus can stay in the air for up to two hours.

“When travelling, you could be exposed to infected people almost anywhere, including airports, airplanes, buses, hotels, restaurants and stadiums,” explained Bermuda’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Cheryl Peek-Ball.

“Members of the public should ensure that they are up to date on all routine vaccinations including measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, and influenza, before leaving on their travels and should visit their local physician or healthcare provider to see what additional vaccinations they might need.

“Keeping a lifetime record of your immunization and your children’s immunization is vital. The information may be held in your Child’s Health Passport, your International Vaccination Certificate for Travel or an immunization card.

“These documents are an important part of your health history. They may be required when you or your family member utilizes health services at the hospital or doctor’s office, enrolls in college, or plans to travel to a destination which requires this documentation upon entry.”

“If you have travelled and become unwell with fever and body rash, it is important to inform your healthcare professional of this travel history and seek medical attention to rule out measles.

“Measles is a notifiable disease and even cases of “suspected measles” should be reported immediately by your healthcare professional to the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit at the Ministry of Health [278-6503].

“If you or your child has not been vaccinated against measles, [MMR vaccine] contact your physician or visit the Child Health Clinic located at the Hamilton Health Centre, 67 Victoria Street, Hamilton.

“For more information about travel vaccinations, contact the Travel Clinic at 278-6460 or check the website health.gov.bm.”

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