Recommendation to Avoid Visiting Measles-Endemic Countries for Infants Under One Year Old
Among Confirmed Cases from December Last Year to March This Year, 13 Had Traveled to Vietnam
There has been a series of cases of domestic patients contracting measles after visiting overseas countries such as Vietnam. Health authorities have urged caution, including vaccination before traveling abroad, as measles is currently epidemic worldwide.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), measles is currently epidemic worldwide, with approximately 330,000 cases reported last year, most of which occurred in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, in that order. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) estimated that the reason measles cases with a history of visiting Vietnam have been continuously reported domestically, despite Vietnam not being the country with the highest official measles case reports, is because Vietnam is a preferred destination for domestic travelers. Photo by Getty Images
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 7th, a total of 49 domestic measles cases were reported last year, and 16 cases have been confirmed as of the day before. All cases were either infected after traveling abroad or through contact with patients domestically. Notably, among the confirmed cases, 13 who were diagnosed in December last year and up to March this year had visited Vietnam.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory infection transmitted through the air via coughing or sneezing. Symptoms include fever, rash, and Koplik’s spots (grayish-white spots inside the mouth). More than 90% of people with insufficient immunity to measles can become infected upon contact with a patient.
The ages of confirmed patients range from 0 years old (3 cases) to people in their 50s. Four of them were infants younger than the first measles vaccination period (12?15 months). The duration of stay ranged from a minimum of 5 days to a maximum of 1.5 months. After returning to Korea, they showed symptoms such as cough and runny nose accompanied by fever, which are typical of measles, followed by the appearance of a rash.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), measles is currently epidemic worldwide, with approximately 330,000 cases reported last year, mostly in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency estimates that the reason why measles patients with a history of visiting Vietnam have been continuously reported domestically recently, despite Vietnam not being the country with the highest official measles case reports, is because Vietnam is a preferred destination for Korean travelers.
In Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific regions, which are popular travel destinations for Koreans, 36,824 and 11,062 cases respectively have been reported. If you plan to visit countries where measles is epidemic, such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and China, you must check your vaccination status. If uncertain, it is safer to get vaccinated before departure.
Measles can be sufficiently prevented through vaccination. It is essential to receive two doses of the measles vaccine: once between 12 and 15 months of age and again between 4 and 6 years of age.
Especially for infants under 1 year old with vulnerable immune systems, the risk of complications such as pneumonia, otitis media, and encephalitis is high if they contract measles. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid visiting countries with measles outbreaks as much as possible, and if travel is unavoidable, vaccination before departure is advised.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency urged, "If you experience symptoms such as fever accompanied by cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis, and rash after traveling abroad, please visit a medical institution, inform them of your travel history, receive medical care, and actively report to the local public health center through the medical institution."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
