The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has revealed that a child is found positive with measles and that it is a three old who is not vaccinated.
According to a news statement by IGMH a few hours back (Saturday), three-year-old who is down with measles is now immunized for measles with two doses of the vaccine. It further stated that the child had been discharged as her condition is good, and it is beyond the period the illness will spread.
The case was identified through the surveillance system established in the Maldives to identify the cases of rubella and measles. Last year 36 people were tested through this system.
As per HPA, the necessary precautionary actions were taken instantaneously when the three-year-old was suspected for measles. Further, all those who are in contact with the child were tested as a preventive measure.
Since measles is a disease that spread through the air, children who are not vaccinated with 2 doses of measles vaccines will very easily get the illness from others who are affected.
HPA has revealed the places that the child visited while being affected with measles. The chance of getting the disease are those people who visited those places, during those times who have not had two doses of measles vaccine, said HPA.
Places the child visited
4 January 2020 (Saturday 20 -23 hrs.) Hulhumale’ Hospital
5 January 2020 (Sunday 17 – 21 hrs.) Hulhumale’ Hospital
6 January 2020 (Monday 19 – 22 hrs.) Senehiya
7 January 2020 (Tuesday 19-2 hrs.) Hulhumale’ Hospital
8 January 2020 (Wednesday 11-13:30 hrs.) Treetop Hospital
HPA has advised among those people who visited Hulhumale’ Central Park, and cafes of the region, who have not immunized with two doses of meals vaccine to hurry and get immunized. Further urged them to see a doctor immediately if there are pimples, itching, and fever within these 21 days.
The only means to control the disease is to get Measles MMR and MMR, 2 doses of each vaccine.
A person affected by measles carries the virus, and even if he/she leaves the place, the virus will be there for one hour, and everyone that comes to the site will get affected.
The disease measles that kill 134,000 people every year from various corners of the world, the Maldives was awarded for eliminating the disease in September 2017.
It was declared the Maldives as the measles eliminated country in June 2019. WHO declared it because there was no outbreak of it in the Maldives and since 2009 there was no sign of the disease in the Maldives.
Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease. The vaccination for the illness was instigated in the Maldives in the year 1979.
The signs and symptoms of the disease appear after ten days of getting affected. The signs and symptoms of the disease are; ear infection, pneumonia, lung injection, affect the brain, blindness, prolonged diarrhoea.
Hulhumale' Hospital
