U.S. health authorities have updated their guidance for travelers regarding measles, now recommending vaccination against the virus irrespective of destination.
US residents are advised to receive measles-mumps-rubella vaccinations regardless. However, the CDC had particularly stressed the significance of immunizations for travelers heading to areas experiencing outbreaks.
The CDC revised its recommendations last week, now urging vaccinations for travelers heading to every other country.
Ashley Darcy-Mahoney, who works as a researcher at George Washington University’s nursing school in the U.S., described the update as substantial.
An outbreak in Colorado last month originated from an international flight that arrived in Denver, she mentioned. She further explained that the modification of the CDC’s travel advisory indicates an understanding that individuals can be exposed to measles not only in countries affected by the disease but also aboard planes and during their travels.
“We’re seeing a shift from localised outbreaks to transmission in transit,” and the CDC seems to be responding to that, Darcy-Mahoney said.
Consistent with guidelines from the European Union, the CDC’s travel advisory recommends two doses for all Americans aged 1 and above, along with an initial dose for traveling infants between 6 months and 11 months old.
In the meantime, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) suggests that travelers check that their vaccinations are current prior to traveling internationally.
As of now this year, over 1,000 measles cases have been recorded across the U.S., whereas the European Union has documented more than 5,500 instances.
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