Get a measles shot before traveling abroad...KDCA, call for caution
Jan 06, 2025
As two travelers who visited Southeast Asia in December were confirmed to have measles due to the worldwide measles epidemic, quarantine authorities warned those planning to travel abroad.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) on the 6th, a total of 49 measles patients occurred in Korea last year, a significant increase from 6 in 2020, 0 in 2021 and 2022, and 8 in 2023, the highest since 2019 (194). All of them were infected by traveling abroad or contacting a patient. In particular, some of them were infants under the age of 1 who traveled abroad with their parents, and infants should be more careful not to be infected because they are more likely to develop complications such as pneumonia, otitis media, and encephalitis if they are infected with measles while their immune system is weak.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, there were about 310,000 measles cases worldwide last year (as of December 11, 2024), followed by Europe (104,849) and the Middle East (88,748). Measles cases were also common in Southeast Asia (32,838 people) and the Western Pacific region (9207 people), which are frequently visited by Koreans. The number of measles patients increased from 170,000 in 2022 to 320,000 in 2023, and the trend continued last year. The WHO also estimated late last year that the number of measles cases worldwide would have reached 10 million in 2023, including unreported cases.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory infectious disease that is transmitted into the air through coughing or sneezing, and when infected, fever, rash, and grayish-white spots in the mouth appear, and a person who is insufficiently immune to measles can be infected more than 90% when contacting the patient. However, since vaccination is sufficiently preventable, such as 93% for the first dose and 97% for the second dose, you must be vaccinated against measles (MMR) twice in a total of 12 to 15 months old and 4 to 6 years old.
In addition, if you have symptoms such as fever or rash when you enter the country after traveling, you should report it to the quarantine officer, and if symptoms appear after arriving at your residence, you should minimize contact around you, such as wearing a mask, refraining from visiting public transportation and multiple facilities, and visit medical institutions first to inform medical staff of your overseas travel history.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that if a person born after 1968 is planning to travel abroad without vaccination records, measles medical history, or antibodies, at least two doses four to six weeks before departure.
Ji Young-mi, the head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, `As most of the cases of measles in Korea this year have not been vaccinated or do not know the vaccination history, it is most important to complete two doses of the vaccine to prevent measles""As overseas travel is expected to increase during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday and winter vacation, make sure you have received both doses of the measles vaccine (MMR) before traveling, and if you have not received the two doses or are uncertain whether you have received the two doses (if there is no evidence of immunity), complete the two doses (at least four weeks apart) four to six weeks before departure." recommended. In addition, it is recommended that the unvaccinated or infants under the age of 1 should refrain from visiting countries where measles is prevalent as much as possible, and that infants (more than 6 months and less than 12 months) should receive an accelerated measles vaccination if visiting is inevitableHe also urged medical institutions to suspect measles and actively report to the local health center if they have a history of overseas travel to a country with measles epidemic when visiting patients, such as fever or rash.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) on the 6th, a total of 49 measles patients occurred in Korea last year, a significant increase from 6 in 2020, 0 in 2021 and 2022, and 8 in 2023, the highest since 2019 (194). All of them were infected by traveling abroad or contacting a patient. In particular, some of them were infants under the age of 1 who traveled abroad with their parents, and infants should be more careful not to be infected because they are more likely to develop complications such as pneumonia, otitis media, and encephalitis if they are infected with measles while their immune system is weak.
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Measles is a highly contagious respiratory infectious disease that is transmitted into the air through coughing or sneezing, and when infected, fever, rash, and grayish-white spots in the mouth appear, and a person who is insufficiently immune to measles can be infected more than 90% when contacting the patient. However, since vaccination is sufficiently preventable, such as 93% for the first dose and 97% for the second dose, you must be vaccinated against measles (MMR) twice in a total of 12 to 15 months old and 4 to 6 years old.
In addition, if you have symptoms such as fever or rash when you enter the country after traveling, you should report it to the quarantine officer, and if symptoms appear after arriving at your residence, you should minimize contact around you, such as wearing a mask, refraining from visiting public transportation and multiple facilities, and visit medical institutions first to inform medical staff of your overseas travel history.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that if a person born after 1968 is planning to travel abroad without vaccination records, measles medical history, or antibodies, at least two doses four to six weeks before departure.
Ji Young-mi, the head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, `As most of the cases of measles in Korea this year have not been vaccinated or do not know the vaccination history, it is most important to complete two doses of the vaccine to prevent measles""As overseas travel is expected to increase during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday and winter vacation, make sure you have received both doses of the measles vaccine (MMR) before traveling, and if you have not received the two doses or are uncertain whether you have received the two doses (if there is no evidence of immunity), complete the two doses (at least four weeks apart) four to six weeks before departure." recommended. In addition, it is recommended that the unvaccinated or infants under the age of 1 should refrain from visiting countries where measles is prevalent as much as possible, and that infants (more than 6 months and less than 12 months) should receive an accelerated measles vaccination if visiting is inevitableHe also urged medical institutions to suspect measles and actively report to the local health center if they have a history of overseas travel to a country with measles epidemic when visiting patients, such as fever or rash.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
