Galicia is vigilant against measles after relapses in other countries and has detected its first two cases of measles in Lugo since 2020

Sanidade calls for calm but will launch a text message campaign to families with children who have not been vaccinated.

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, July 21. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Health Ministry has stepped up measles surveillance after discovering that resurgences of the disease in other countries where vaccination is less widespread were reaching other parts of the state. Galicia has not seen a single case since 2020, but has seen two this year, most notably in the Lugo region: one imported and the other infected by the first.

The head of the Sanidad Infectious Disease Control Service, Susana Miras, calls for calm, but emphasizes the fact that measles is a “disease that must be eradicated” and therefore prevention measures against it have been strengthened.

For this reason, the General Directorate of Public Health decided to send SMS messages throughout the summer to the families of children who are to receive doses of the vaccine. However, it was found that after years, when coverage approached the 95% established by the World Health Organization, it decreased among minors born in 2019 to 92.9%, and among those born in 2020 to 89.9%.

OVERALL INCREASE

This is happening against the backdrop of an overall increase in cases “at a global and European level”, especially in countries with lower vaccination rates, as Susana Miras explains to Europa Press. Thus, Sanidade has only identified two cases in 2024, but they are the first in four years. “But there is no alarming situation,” he adds.

In other autonomous regions, “several more cases” are linked to foreign citizens coming to work as temporary workers, says the head of the Infectious Disease Control Service.

Is this rise in measles linked to the lifting of Covid-19 health restrictions? Miras believes “it could be linked,” as the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing measures have “significantly reduced the incidence” of other airborne viruses.

It is a disease that the authorities “want to eliminate” because, although it is not serious in principle, “it can have complications” in the form of ear, eye, gastrointestinal infections or pneumonia. “At the moment, we cannot allow diseases to exist that need to be eradicated,” he stresses.

SENDING SMS

Saúde Pública will send this SMS to strengthen the protection of children against measles in the Galician Community. This is a “historical vaccine” of those included in the children’s calendar since 1981 and which consists of only two doses in childhood: the first at 12 months and the second when they are 3 years old.

In addition to receiving an informational message, families wishing to receive it will need to make an appointment as usual through their primary care department.

In any case, Miras “also encourages adults” who are not sufficiently protected against measles to get vaccinated, especially those born after 1968, as the former have “very high” levels of antibodies because they are considered to have already had the infection.

In addition, the Director of Disease Control specifically calls for vaccination of health care workers, seasonal workers, travelers to countries with lower vaccination rates, and anyone who has been in contact with immunocompromised patients.