Measles vaccination coverage is relatively high in Taiwan, and there is no sign of a local large-scale measles outbreak, Taiwan Immunization Vision and Strategy chairman Lee Ping-ing (李秉穎) said yesterday.
Lee, who is also the convener of the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, made the remark at a news conference in Taipei for the advocacy group when responding to questions about recent local measles cases.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Tuesday reported that a cluster of measles cases linked to a hospital in central Taiwan had grown to 16 people, while a total of 33 measles cases have been reported nationwide so far this year, comprising 21 local cases and 12 imported cases.
Photo: CNA
The CDC said that 3,123 people who have had contact with the confirmed hospital cluster cases have been identified and monitored for symptoms, the highest number of contacts monitored for measles in five years.
Lee said there were several clusters of measles in Taiwan, but none had spread widely throughout the country, mainly because the nation’s measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination coverage rate in children is more than 97 percent.
Taiwan’s vaccination policy has enabled it to better control the spread of measles, and so far the recent cluster cases have not shown signs of becoming a large-scale outbreak, he said.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease in which a person can infect on average 12 to 18 people who lack immunity.
As the risk of airborne infection is lower than through direct contact or respiratory droplets, people should avoid close contact with people and crowded venues to prevent infection, Lee said.
The identified contacts should immediately report to their local health department if they develop symptoms of measles, and avoid seeking medical attention on their own, he said, adding that they are advised to wear a mask at most times and avoid going to public venues.
Separately, when asked for comment on the measles cases, Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) said that Taiwan’s high vaccination coverage among children makes it difficult for a large-scale outbreak to occur.
“The measles situation is under control, and the ministry would continue to monitor the situation and ensure preventive measures are in place,” he said.
Meanwhile, the centers do not recommend the public rush to get vaccinated at this time, unless they are in a high-risk group, CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said.
“Not everyone needs to get vaccinated [now], but only those at higher risk,” Tseng said, adding that the CDC suggests that only three groups seek vaccinations.
The first group is children aged 12 months to five years, who are eligible for two doses of government-funded MMR vaccines, she said.
The first-dose rate coverage of this group has been about 98.7 percent, while the second-dose coverage is about 97.4 percent, she said.
The two groups recommended to seek out-of-pocket MMR vaccination are medical personnel born in or after 1981 who do have not had a positive measles antibody test result within five years and had received their last dose of an MMR vaccine at least 15 years ago; and people born in or after 1981 who are traveling to countries where measles is spreading, such as Vietnam, India or Cambodia, she said.
The latter group is advised to consult with a doctor before getting vaccinated, while measles is not known to be spreading in Japan or South Korea, she added.
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