The Aruba Public Health Department has been closely monitoring the developments taking place in Europe, America, and recently in the Caribbean regarding cases of measles virus transmission.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases as this virus is easily transmitted through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The disease can cause severe complications and even death. Before the introduction of the measles vaccine worldwide in 1963, a large number of children, particularly under the age of 5, used to die from this disease every year. Since the introduction of the measles vaccine, global measles cases have decreased, and in Aruba, since its introduction in 1979, we have not seen this disease since the 1980s. This is thanks to the high vaccination rate (95%) among our children aged 0 to 10 years.
However, recently the World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded the alarm again due to the increase in measles cases occurring in different countries in Europe (40 countries) and America (18 states) among both children and adults. Recently, two cases of measles have been confirmed in the Caribbean. Health organizations believe that the measles outbreak is occurring due to a reduction in vaccination rates, particularly after the COVID pandemic. The more people decide not to vaccinate their children against measles, the lower the immunity of the country becomes, increasing the risk of the virus spreading to both unvaccinated individuals and those who are more vulnerable.
The Public Health Department has been closely monitoring this global development and has begun meeting with various partners to develop a plan to mitigate or reduce the possibility of Aruba importing a measles case. Just like with the COVID virus, it will be impossible for us to prevent the virus from entering our island, but it is important for us to be well prepared to manage its transmission when it enters and also to provide protection to the group of citizens most at risk of becoming seriously ill or even dying if they come into contact with the virus.
In the coming days, the Department of Public Health will continue to inform the community more about the developments surrounding this virus and the steps Aruba is taking to prepare for it.
