Junta does not rule out new outbreaks of measles in Andalucía

The SAS regional health authority has reminded the public that measles is a serious disease, with 40% of the recent cases requiring hospitalisation

Europa Press

Seville

Tuesday, 22 April 2025, 14:19

The director of public health of the Andalusian regional government (SAS), Manuel Fernández, has announced that there is a possibility of announcing two or three more measles cases today, with the regular update of the data regarding outbreaks. The appearance of new cases might follow "the same dynamic that we have been seeing in recent days": first, imported cases are detected, around which "secondary autochthonous cases then appear".

Fernández confirmed that, this week, the SAS will begin administering the second dose of MMR - the vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella - in children who have reached fifteen months of age in those municipalities where outbreaks have been confirmed. Those areas are located in the provinces of Malaga, Almeria, Huelva and even Seville. So far, 56 cases have been confirmed since the beginning of the year in both children and adults, which is "an important element to bear in mind", according to the regional director.

Fernández also stated that "in some places" they will also go to schools "to check the vaccination status of children, adults and adolescents" and that the Junta will carry out a campaign to ensure that all children in Andalucía, not only in the municipalities where there has been an outbreak, who are not vaccinated receive the MMR vaccine, regardless of their age.

The health authority has reminded the public that measles is a serious disease, with 40% of the recent cases requiring hospitalisation. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 100,000 people worldwide died from measles in 2023. Of those 100,000 people, most were children under five years of age. "From the Junta de Andalucía, we want to make this effort with great determination to not only control current outbreaks, but to also eliminate future ones," said Manuel Fernández.

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