State health officials are investigating a case of measles in an Oahu resident who had not been vaccinated upon returning from overseas travel. He refused to disclose his age.
Officials have already identified infected people and are working to prevent the spread of the disease, according to the Hawaii Department of Health.
Health care providers are also being asked to be aware of the possibility of infection.
Measles, a vaccine-preventable disease, is highly contagious, officials said. It is caused by a virus that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
State epidemiologist Dr Sarah Kemble said in a news release: “As a result, we are seeing an increase in outbreaks around the world, and sometimes even in the United States. We are very lucky to have a safe and highly effective vaccine against measles. , a reminder to check your child’s immunization status and make sure you are up to date on all recommended immunizations.”
Symptoms usually begin with a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes, followed by the development of small red spots that begin on the face and spread to other parts of the body.
Mumps, measles and rubella vaccination rates have declined among children globally and nationally since the pre-pandemic years, according to the Ministry of Health.
The MMR vaccine is part of routine childhood vaccinations and is usually given during the first year of a healthy child’s visit.
Health officials recently noted that the percentage of Hawaii children who have not been vaccinated against diseases such as mumps and measles, or who have not received the full list of required immunizations for school, has surged since the arrival of COVID-19. expressed concern that
Although Hawaii has not seen a recent outbreak or spread of measles, the DOH said this case could lead to a recurrence of measles if a resident or traveler becomes infected abroad and reenters Hawaii. It reminds me of
Measles can cause serious health complications, especially in children under the age of 5 and in infants under the age of 1 who are too young to be vaccinated against measles.
“All eligible Keiki should be vaccinated against measles,” DOH Director Dr. Kenneth Fink said in a release. please don’t.”
More information about measles is available at www.cdc.gov/measles.
