Paju-si Urges Overseas Travelers to Follow Measles Prevention Guidelines Amid Southeast Asia Measles Outbreak

Paju City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Kyung-il) recently urged citizens planning overseas travel to exercise special caution in relation to the global measles outbreak.

Preventive Guidelines Poster for International Travelers. Provided by Paju City

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 330,000 measles cases have been reported worldwide in 2024, and domestically, 18 cases occurred from December 2024 to March 6, 2025. Notably, 13 of these patients were confirmed to have visited Vietnam, and most were either unvaccinated or had unclear vaccination records.

Accordingly, the Paju Public Health Center recommends that citizens planning overseas travel verify their measles vaccination history before departure. Vaccination records can be checked on the Vaccination Helper website, and if there is no record or uncertainty, two doses of vaccination (at least 4 weeks apart) must be completed at least 6 weeks before departure.

In particular, for infants under 1 year of age with vulnerable immunity, it is advised to refrain from visiting countries experiencing measles outbreaks. If travel is unavoidable, infants aged 6 months to 11 months are recommended to receive accelerated vaccination at least 2 weeks before departure. The vaccination cost is fully covered by the government.

After returning, if symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis, or rash appear, individuals should immediately visit a medical institution, inform them of their overseas travel history, and receive treatment. If fever or rash symptoms are present upon entry, they must be reported to quarantine officers.

Lee Han-sang, Director of the Paju Public Health Center, stated, "Since many measles cases have recently occurred in Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia, special caution is required when visiting these countries. For the safe overseas travel of citizens, the health center provides vaccination consultation and vaccination services, so please check your vaccination status in advance if you plan to travel abroad."