A combined report from two major public health agencies declared measles to be a ‘significant threat’ to the international community.
Released on Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) said a record drop in measles vaccination coverage and sustained large-scale outbreaks meant that the respiratory virus had become a “global epidemic.” was an imminent threat in all regions. world”.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was “absolutely important” to get immunization programs on track to avoid what he described as “preventable diseases”. rice field.
“The pandemic paradox is that while a vaccine against Covid-19 was developed in record time and deployed into the largest vaccination campaign in history, routine vaccination programs were severely disrupted, leaving millions of people Children were not getting life-saving immunizations against deadly diseases like measles,” Dr. Ghebreyesus said.
According to WHO, India, Somalia and Yemen are the three countries with the highest number of measles cases.
Measles is considered one of the most contagious viruses, but vaccines given during childhood, including measles, mumps, and rubella, are considered the best protection against future outbreaks. increase.
In Australia, children aged 12-18 months are vaccinated for free. People under the age of 20, refugees, and humanitarian immigrants may also be eligible for catch-up her vaccines.
The CDC says 9 out of 10 people who have not been vaccinated against the disease will become infected in the face of exposure.
The virus is transmitted through droplets released when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Common symptoms include fever, cold symptoms, conjunctivitis, and a red, patchy rash that first appears on the face and hairline and spreads to other parts of the body.
The characteristic rash usually appears 3 to 4 days after the initial symptoms appear.
Visitors who traveled through Melbourne Airport last week were asked to monitor their symptoms until Saturday, December 3rd.
Three confirmed cases have been recorded in a family traveling from Singapore to MelbourneThis brings the total number of confirmed cases in 2022 to five.
Passengers boarded Qantas QF36 / Emirates EK5036 in Singapore on Monday and landed at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport around 6:10 am on Tuesday. They were reportedly inside the airport until 8:40 am.
Victoria’s Deputy Chief Health Officer, Deborah Friedman, has urged people who develop symptoms to call ahead so they can seek medical care, wear a mask and isolate themselves from others.
Young children and adults with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk of serious illness, she said.
“Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads rapidly through close contact, especially among poorly vaccinated people,” Friedman said.
That comes when NSW reported its first measles case in two years this September. A man in his 50s became infected after traveling to Asia and developed symptoms after returning to Sydney.
