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  • 1 year ago
The Pan American Health Organization is urging member countries to implement more stringent measures to detect measles and attempt to close any existing vaccination gaps.
It comes as clusters of cases have been found in parts of the Americas.
Transcript
00:00The alert by the Pan-American Health Organization was published on October 28, citing that more
00:06than 14,000 suspected cases of measles have been registered, with 376 confirmed in eight
00:13countries of the Americas, mainly in the United States, with 267 cases, Canada, 82, and Argentina,
00:2211.
00:23According to PAHO, the majority of these cases is either imported or related to importation,
00:29and 57% of them are unvaccinated.
00:33PAHO further notes that the Americas was certified as free from rubella in 2015 and of endemic
00:39measles in 2016.
00:41Measles, a highly contagious disease caused by a virus, primarily affects children, with
00:47PAHO stating that among the highly impacted groups are children ages 1 to 9 years old
00:54and young adults aged 20 to 29 years.
00:58The virus can result in complications including severe diarrhea, air infections, blindness,
01:03pneumonia, and encephalitis, which is inflammation in the brain.
01:07Some conditions can result in death.
01:10According to PAHO, in 2023, the regional coverage for the first dose of the MMR vaccine was
01:1687% and 76% for the second dose, below the ideal threshold of 95% recommended to prevent
01:24outbreaks.
01:25In response to the situation, PAHO is urging its member states to
01:291.
01:30Implement active search strategies to detect cases, as well as to carry out complementary
01:35vaccination activities, 2.
01:37To close existing immunity gaps and strengthen communication with communities to promote
01:42vaccine acceptance.
01:44Travelers are also advised to get vaccinated before visiting areas where measles transmission
01:49has been documented.
01:52PAHO is also recommending that countries strengthen their systems of surveillance and
01:57its response mechanisms to imported cases.
02:01The organization adds,
02:023.
02:03It is crucial to address risk factors that could favor the spread of the virus, such
02:08as low vaccination coverage, gaps in surveillance, the active circulation of the virus in other
02:14regions of the world, the increased movement of people in the region, and dengue outbreaks
02:21where some of the measles cases could be masked.
02:25PAHO outlines vaccination as the most effective way of preventing the spread of the virus
02:31and it says,
02:324.
02:33Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, measles is one of the leading causes
02:38of death in young children.
02:39Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has stated that up to October 15, 2024, more than
02:45502,000 suspected cases of measles were reported in 182 member states of the six WHO regions,
02:55of which more than 283,000, representing 56% of the caseload, were confirmed.
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