The cases of measles are triggered in the world by the lack of vaccination
El United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) reported this week, in the framework of the World Vaccination Week, that between 2010 and 2017 around 169 million children did not receive the first dose of the vaccine against measles. The figures are more striking in Africa but Europe and the US follow the order of the list.
The US is now experiencing a considered increase in infections. In recent months 681 cases of measles have been confirmed. It is the strongest outbreak since the disease was considered eliminated in the year 2000 thanks to a mandatory general vaccination. About 2.5 millions of children in the American country did not receive the first dose of the vaccine between 2010 and 2017, which is why the disease has returned to reproduce. SAccording to figures published Monday by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is 555 cases declared in 20 States, which is the second worst epidemic recorded in the country, since 1991. With the focus in New York, especially in the barrios of Orthodox Jews, they add 329 patients in a population of 8,5 million inhabitants, and 186 in the county of Rockland, with 300.000 neighbors.
What has happened in Canary Islands?
The risk in Canary Islands of suffering infections from other diseases is very high since we receive 15 annually millions of tourists per year
En Canary Islands We have been victims of the first outbreak of measles in a school of Adeje. A boy who had traveled to Italy has infected two children and a woman who were not vaccinated. In the child's school there were no more infections because the other children were vaccinated. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world. If a person has measles, the 90% People around you will be infected if they are not immune. The disease is manifested by a very high fever and a rash. It is contagious four days before and four days after this rash and, although it is often benign, can present serious complications, respiratory (pulmonary infections) and neurological (encephalitis), especially in frail people.
The risk in Canary Islands of suffering from infections of other diseases is very high since we received millions of tourists a year from 15. The President of the Canary Society of Pediatrics, Luis Ortigosa, recently affirmed in the celebration of the IX Canary Days of update in vaccines that "it is necessary not to lower our guard and vaccinate our minors for their individual benefit and to save group coverage". In addition, he insists, "vaccines must be included in the healthy lifestyle", because in "childhood and adolescence, being healthy also means being well vaccinated." At this point, he praised the inclusion in Canary Islands of the vaccines against meningococcus B in minors and against meningococcal ACWY in adolescents, and the improvement of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, "Facilitating their access, universally and free of charge, to the entire population".
The ironic thing is that the disease can be almost completely prevented with two doses of a safe and effective vaccine. And yet, for several years, the global coverage with the first dose of the measles vaccine has stagnated at an 85%.
El Children's vaccination calendar of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands includes the measles vaccine to 12 months the first dose and the 3 years the second.