According to the ministry, at March 30, 2019, there were 3,674 suspected cases and 596 confirmed cases in the Americas with over 300 of the confirmed cases from the USA. In Europe, in January 2019, there were 881 cases of measles reported from 19 countries, the ministry said.
Measles is a highly contagious illness caused by a virus that replicates in the nose and throat of an infected child or adult. In order to stop the disease from spreading, 95 per cent of children in Jamaica need to be fully vaccinated with the two doses- MMR1 at 12 months and MMR2 at 18 months, according to the health ministry.
Minister of Health, Dr Christopher Tufton, however noted that “there has been a decrease in uptake of the vaccines over the last few years and in 2018, Jamaica had 89 per cent coverage of MMR1 and 82 per cent coverage of MMR2. We are therefore appealing to all parents to visit the nearest health centre to ensure that their children are fully vaccinated as measles kills more children than any other vaccine-preventable disease.”
In the meantime, chief medical officer in the Ministry of Health, Dr Jacqueline Bisasor-McKenzie, says that “most cases of measles are mild and symptoms usually appear 10-12 days after exposure to an infected person but may appear as early as seven days and as late as 21 days after exposure. Measles typically begins with a high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes.
Two or three days after symptoms begin, tiny white spots may appear inside the mouth. Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash breaks out, usually 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.”
She further noted that “complications from measles include ear infection and diarrhea, while severe complications include pneumonia, swelling of the brain and death. Pregnant women may give birth prematurely or have a low-birth-weight baby.”
In response to the increase in cases worldwide, the ministry said it has since the beginning of the year sensitized and trained approximately 60 healthcare professionals in measles outbreak response, with mandatory training of rapid response teams across the island. Information relating to the revised target groups and parish coverage for MMR1 and MMR2 vaccines has been communicated to all parish health teams.
Additionally, the ministry said it has been recirculating communication to sensitise doctors and other health professionals about the increased risk of measles importation and to heighten the index of suspicion for measles. The communication is also a reminder to doctors and nurses regarding the surveillance protocol for fever and rash, including the importance of immediate Class I notification and sampling on first contact and prioritize vaccination of all children in the target group with two doses of MMR vaccine.
A public education campaign has commenced to sensitise members of the public to guard against the infection, added the ministry, noting that persons may call 888-ONE-LOVE (663-5683) or visit the nearest health centre for more information.
