The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its travel advisory, adding two countries to its list of travel destinations experiencing outbreaks of measles. On March 13, the agency issued a Level 1 travel advisory to 46 countries in response to a global outbreak of measles. While the CDC only added
Russia and
Malaysia to its list of countries currently facing large measles outbreaks, the agency warns that the threat is not limited to these countries as the number of cases continues to rise globally. “Measles spreads rapidly and may become a risk to travelers in places not included on the list above,” the CDC advised, recommending that “all travelers are fully vaccinated against measles when traveling to any international destination.” A Level 1 travel advisory is a recommendation to “Practice Usual Precautions.” Level 2 advises travelers to “Practice Enhanced Precautions.” Level 3 warns travelers to “Reconsider Nonessential Travel,” and Level 4 advises travelers to “Avoid All Travel.” As explained by the CDC, several international destinations have reported an increase in the number of measles cases. International travelers who have not been fully vaccinated at least two weeks before departure or have not had measles in the past are at risk of contracting the disease. The CDC also notes that “the majority of measles cases imported into the
United States occur in unvaccinated US residents who become infected during international travel.” “All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, including an early dose for infants 6–11 months, according to CDC’s measles vaccination recommendations for international travel.” In
California, the Sacramento County Health Department announced on March 8 that a child with measles was seen at the University of California–Davis Medical Center Emergency Department. On the same day, El Dorado County issued a similar statement saying the child had been transferred to UC Davis after being evaluated at San Joaquin Urgent Care. El Dorado County officials estimated that 300 people may have been exposed to the infected child. UC Davis spokesperson Liam Connolly told The Epoch Times in an email that the child had recently returned from traveling outside the country and that the health center was in the process of contacting those who were potentially exposed. In November 2022, the CDC reported an estimated 9 million cases in 22 countries worldwide and 128,000 deaths from measles in 2021. During a Feb. 20 news conference, the World Health Organization issued a warning about the rapid spread of measles across the globe. With 306,000 cases being reported in 2023, it was an increase of 79 percent over 2022. Infants aged 6 to 11 months should receive one dose of MMR vaccine. Infants who received one dose of MMR vaccine before their first birthday should receive a second dose at 12 to 15 months and a final dose between 4 and 6 years of age. Children who are a year old or older, teenagers, and adults “who do not have presumptive evidence of immunity against measles” should receive two doses of the MMR vaccine at least 28 days apart. The CDC recommends that those who are planning international travel follow a different protocol, recommending full vaccination at least 2 weeks before departure. “If your trip is less than 2 weeks away and you’re not protected against measles, you should still get a dose of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine,” the CDC states. In November 2022, the CDC reported measles vaccinations had declined steadily since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, almost 40 million children missed a measles vaccine dose, a record high, with about 25 million children missing their first dose and another 14.7 million children missing their second dose. The CDC advises that population vaccine coverage of at least 95 percent of two doses of measles-containing vaccine is necessary “to create herd immunity in order to protect communities and achieve and maintain measles elimination.” With only 81 percent of the world’s children receiving their first measles-containing vaccine dose, and only 71 percent receiving their second, the CDC said “these are the lowest global coverage rates of the first dose of measles vaccination since 2008.”