Up to date measles vaccination a must-have for anyone travelling Europe this summer
Measles is a disease that rarely comes to mind when people think about travel hazards. Yet, given some disquieting recent trends, it's one that should be on the forefront of people's minds if they are traveling to Europe this summer—and for the indefinite future.
Various countries in Europe have been experiencing outbreaks of measles over the past several months. For example, one of the most high-risk countries is Romania, where there have been 2,000 cases reported since February 2016. The disease has killed 17 children, who hadn't been vaccinated.
In Canada measles is fairly rare. Domestically initiated cases have been eliminated altogether. All children are expected to be vaccinated against it at a young age, beginning with one dose at 12 to 15 months and then a second one anywhere between 18 months and six years of age. When it does occur, it is usually travel-related, as is the case with the 10 confirmed cases thus far in 2017.
Canada's last major measles outbreak occurred in a relatively small Quebec community. Nearly 200 people became patients once the disease was brought over through an infected visitor. Although most victims of measles do recover in under a month, it can be deadly for some since there is no specific treatment available.
Symptoms for measles begin much like other diseases. Patients will experience fever, coughing, runny noses, red eyes, and irritability. But it tends to distinguish itself within a week, as red blotchy rashes develop on the face and spread throughout the body. Those symptoms begin showing between a week and three weeks after exposure to the virus. In that time, patients are at a high risk of passing the virus on to anyone who isn't immunized.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's interim chief public health officer urges that anyone who hasn't been vaccinated for measles should do so within six weeks of travelling overseas, while those who aren't sure of their immunization record should find out if they have been properly immunized and then act accordingly.