Andalucía: health authorities expect new measles cases

Manuel Fernández, the director of public health of the Andalusian regional government (SAS), said that there is a possibility of announcing new measles cases in the coming days. The appearance of these new cases might follow the same dynamic seen in recent outbreaks: first, imported cases are detected, followed later by “secondary autochthonous cases.” Fernández confirmed that the SAS will begin soon to administer the second dose of the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine to children who have reached fifteen months of age in the provinces of Malaga, Almeria, Huelva, and Seville. He also announced school inspections “to check the vaccination status of children, adults and adolescents.” The government is planning a campaign to ensure that all children in the region who are not vaccinated receive the MMR vaccine, regardless of their age and location.
In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that around 100,000 people died from measles worldwide. Of these 100,000 deaths, most were among children under five. So far, Andalucía has confirmed 56 measles cases since the start of this year, with infections among both children and adults. Fernández confirmed the regional government’s commitment “to not only control current outbreaks, but to also eliminate future ones.”