As soon as the alert was received, the Regional Health Agency (ARS) implemented preventive measures and health risk management protocols to prevent potential transmission:

• Identification of contacts and verification of their vaccination status.

• Communication to healthcare professionals (private practitioners via the URPS and the Medical Board, pediatric emergency departments and SAMU, infectious disease specialists, and outpatient care facilities).

To date, 16 contacts within and outside the family have been identified: 5 adults and 11 children (including 2 who are unvaccinated).

Mandatory vaccination

Measles vaccination is mandatory for all children born on or after January 1, 2018. The first dose is administered at 12 months of age, and the second between 16 and 18 months. People born after 1980 should have received a total of two doses of the vaccine, regardless of their history of the disease.

Measles vaccination protects against the disease in nearly 100% of cases after two doses of the vaccine.

For people born before 1980, a single dose of the vaccine is recommended. They can check their vaccination history with their doctor.

Insufficient Vaccination Coverage in Réunion

According to epidemiological data from Santé publique France, in Réunion, among infants, two-dose vaccination coverage against measles, mumps, and rubella is 80%, which is below the 95% target needed to interrupt virus transmission.

The ARS Réunion reminds the public that vaccination is an essential preventive measure that ensures not only individual protection but also collective protection by reducing the circulation of the virus.

It is therefore essential to verify your vaccination status, as two doses are required for effective protection against measles. If in doubt, or if fewer than two doses of the vaccine have been administered, it is recommended that you consult a healthcare professional to arrange, if necessary, a catch-up vaccination in accordance with the vaccination schedule.

More information on measles vaccination:
vaccination-info-service.fr

This website, which also offers a version specifically for healthcare professionals, provides everyone with access to factual, practical, and scientifically validated information on vaccination at different stages of life, on specific diseases, on vaccination in general, or on a particular vaccine.

Measles, a serious and highly contagious disease

Fever, cough, fatigue, runny nose, and conjunctivitis, followed by a rash, are the most common symptoms of measles, which can lead to serious complications (laryngitis, ear infections, pneumonia, etc.) in both children and adults, particularly in immunocompromised individuals and pregnant women (risk to the mother and the unborn child).

Since the virus spreads through the air, anyone who is not immune (children and adults) is at risk of contracting measles.

In an unvaccinated population, it is estimated that one contagious person can infect 15 to 20 others.

If you have symptoms

It is essential to consult your primary care physician and follow preventive measures to limit the spread of the virus:

• Contact your primary care physician to schedule an appointment; do not go to the doctor’s office or the emergency room without an appointment.

• Minimize contact with others.

• Practice preventive measures: wash your hands regularly or use hand sanitizer, cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue, blow your nose into a disposable tissue and then throw it away.

• Ventilate the rooms you are in regularly.

• Maintain a distance of at least one meter from others.

• In addition, wear a mask if you have symptoms.