Major Measles Outbreak in Ukraine Continues - update

More than 700 cases of measles were diagnosed in the past week nationwide. Since 1 January 2018, there have been 8,434 people who have become ill with measles. Sixty-two percent of the infected people have been children, but almost 3,000 have been adults.

Advice

Failure to maintain adequate levels of vaccination against measles is the main cause of this ongoing epidemic.

Sporadic cases and outbreaks are often reported by many countries. All travellers are reminded that outbreaks of the highly contagious measles virus can occur anywhere in the world at any time. Travellers who have not been immunized may be at high risk. Travellers can reduce their risk of exposure to the highly contagious measles virus by ensuring that their childhood vaccinations, including measles, are up-to-date prior to travelling.