Measles

Chile health officials announced (computer translated) the commencement of a vaccination campaign against measles as part of the prevention against the outbreak of imported cases.

Chile map/CIA
Chile map/CIA

“It is important to say that today we are with an outbreak that is controlled, and to continue with this control from January 2 we started a vaccination campaign against measles for those 20 to 24 years old, due to several reasons: it is about a population that was not exposed to the circulating virus, which produces immunity; that had a vaccination coverage below 90%; and another important justification is because we have had a population of young people who have come from other countries where vaccination coverage is very low, “said Undersecretary of Public Health Paula Daza.

As a precautionary measure against the outbreak of measles associated with import, which until today, January 4, amounts to 23 cases (12 men and 11 women) confirmed by the Institute of Public Health, the Ministry of Health has taken the action of starting a reinforcement of vaccination against Measles, Rubella and Mumps in people between 20 and 24 years of age, for the period of time between January 2 and February 28 (with extension for the time necessary to reach coverage of 80 %). It is contemplated that the target population reaches 1,390,097 people.

This campaign responds to:

– The increase in cases of measles in the countries of the region during the last 2 years.
– That this population has not been exposed to the circulation of measles virus .
– Migration of young adult population from pa í countries that have increased reporting of cases of measles and whom vaccination status is unknown.
– Mumps outbreaks that have been registered in the country since 2016 and that have affected mainly young people from 20 to 24 years old.

In Chile, following the interruption of the autochthonous transmission of measles in 1992, there have been isolated cases or sporadic outbreaks of measles related to cases imported in the summer of 1998-1999, in 2003, 2009, 2011 and 2015.

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PAHO / WHO recommends that children receive two doses of measles vaccine and that countries aiming for measles elimination should achieve ≥95% coverage with both doses in all children in each district. In Chile, for the protection of measles, the current scheme considers the administration of 2 doses of SRP vaccine, the first dose at 12 months of age and the second dose in the first year of basic education.

In the last 5 years the coverage with the first dose of SRP has fluctuated between 94.4 and 97.2%, and the coverage of the 2nd dose, administered in the 1st basic (booster) has reached in 2017 a 90.5%.

Hantavirus

Health officials in Los Lagos confirmed the first hantavirus case of 2019 in an individual who contracted it in Epuyén, Argentina, according to a Santiago Times report.

Argentina: Hantavirus outbreak in Epuyén is ‘unprecedented’

The woman resides in the city of Palena, in the Los Lagos Region, and remains hospitalized in the Puerto Montt Hospital since Saturday.