Bahamas lone Caricom state to report measles case

WASHINGTON, DC, USA (CMC) — The Bahamas is the only Caribbean Community (Caricom) country reporting a confirmed case of measles up to the period January to September 25, this year.

The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) said that a total of 6,541 confirmed cases of measles, including five deaths, have been reported in 14 countries and territories in the region of the Americas.

Apart from The Bahamas, the only other Caribbean country included in the report is the Dutch island of Curacao where there is also one case.

According to PAHO, Brazil has the highest number of cases (4,476 cases), followed by the United States with 1, 241.

PAHO said that its last PAHO/WHO Epidemiological Update on Measles published on August 7, reported a 123 per cent increase in the total number of confirmed cases of measles reported, with eight countries reporting additional confirmed cases.

“In 2018, the highest proportion of confirmed cases in the region of the Americas were reported in Brazil and Venezuela, while in 2019, the majority of confirmed cases have been reported from Brazil (61 per cent) and the United States (23 per cent),” PAHO said.

PAHO said that given the continued imported cases of measles from other regions and the ongoing outbreaks in countries and territories in the region of the Americas, it wanted to reinforce the recommendations made earlier this year and is urging all member states, to vaccinate to maintain homogenous coverage of 95 per cent with the first and second doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine in all municipalities.

It also wants health authorities to vaccinate at-risk populations, without proof of vaccination or immunity against measles and rubella, such as health care workers, persons working in tourism and transportation, and international travellers.