Health Ministry Urges Vaccination After New Measles Case Confirmed

The Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) is advising the public to get the MMR vaccine after another case of measles was discovered in western Belize. Last month, for the first time in thirty-four years the ministry confirmeda measles outbreak in Belize. On April 12, the ministry reported two lab-confirmed cases in unvaccinated persons, who had recently returned from Chiapas, Mexico. And, on April 27, five additional clinically diagnosed cases linked to one of the original patients were confirmed. Since then, the ministry has ramped up its surveillance efforts and detected suspected cases in the Spanish Lookout community linked to recent travel to Chihuahua, Mexico. MOHW is now urging unvaccinated individuals to avoid travel to the community until further notice and to get immunized. Dr. Melissa Diaz Musa, Director of Health and Wellness, spoke about the recent findings and the ministry’s efforts to mitigate the disease’s spread.

Dr. Melissa Diaz Musa, Director of Health and Wellness: “We were informed that there was someone with fever and rash at a facility in the Spanish Lookout area. We visited and we took samples for this person and these samples are in the process of being run. We haven’t received the results as yet but clinically that person fits the clinical definition of measles. On doing the investigation of that person and following the trail and where this person has been, again, it’s linked to travel to Mexico. We cannot say that this new case that presented on Friday is an imported case because it appears that it’s locally transmitted at this point because this person has no travel history.  This person has nobody in the family that has traveled to Mexico but this person is linked to someone who had recently traveled to Mexico. So with that confirmation and with the assessment that the team did on the ground, we determined that there is ongoing transmission of measles in the Spanish Lookout community. Now we want to make it clear as well that surveillance is not only done in certain communities, it’s done across the country, it’s done in any community where we have a fever and rash case. And of course we do surveillance for many other diseases as well. However, we continue to send samples to Mexico, of all the other samples those have come back as negative.”

While the ministry is cognizant there is prevalence of vaccine hesitancy in communities like Spanish Lookout, it doesn’t believe that situation may have stemmed from the community’s low vaccination rate. However, Dr. Natalia Beer, Maternal Child Health Advisor, underscored that being vaccinated is the best method of prevention.

Dr. Natalia Beer, Maternal and Child Health Advisor, Ministry of Health and Wellness: “The surveillance and all the preventive interventions were not limited just to where the persons were. It was enhanced surveillance system, country-wide, and Dr. Diaz was explaining because we know that the vaccination coverage is low so it’s not just one community. We want to protect everyone. So we have been out there going to the communities, the rural health nurses, the public health nurses, the public health inspectors, working with the communities to try to increase the vaccination coverage. But 42 days after having no case one can say the outbreak is under control and finished. But we just happened to experience a second group of two persons that came from abroad and had contact with persons that are unvaccinated and unfortunately they had the measles. But we must remember that the contagious period is four days before the rash and five days after the rash. So if I am having fever only, I don’t know I have measles. And I can go to an event and share with everyone and one day or two days after I have rash then I start thinking of measles but I already came in contact with other persons in the community and if I am unvaccinated I will catch the measles, I will be infected with measles. So that is what we are facing, a second influx of imported measles cases. And it just happened to be Spanish Lookout.”

The ministry say travelers aged 12 months and older should ensure they are vaccinated at least two weeks before travel. Additionally, in case of exposure, the MOHW advises vaccination within three days and immediate contact with a healthcare provider.