The Directorate General of Health (DGS) this Saturday considered that the risk of measles spreading in Portugal is “very low” after the European region of the World Health Organization (WHO) recorded an alarming increase in the number of cases in recent years. months.
In recent weeks, three cases of measles have been reported in the country, two of which were imported.
Speaking to Lusa, DGS national vaccination program coordinator Teresa Fernandez explained that in Portugal “the risk is very low” as “most of the population” is immunized and the country continues to have “excellent vaccination coverage.” .
“We are vigilant and the proof is that we are identifying cases. The fact that these warnings are coming internationally makes our doctors more vigilant, and the DGS and all organizations warn about the disease in various ways. Therefore, we had several suspicious cases, but at the moment there are only three,” he emphasized.
The official acknowledged that more cases may emerge without causing alarm, recalling that there have been no records since 2020, when nine cases were detected, due to measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It is possible that more [casos] naturally, because the risk is very high [na região europeia da OMS]“but usually these are imported cases,” he said, pointing out that “Portugal is one of the countries that has eliminated measles and rubella” because it has “a public health device that checks any emerging case.”
Teresa Fernandez said the country has “a very high level of public health surveillance and response.”
“Despite the very high level of alarm, we are identifying cases, investigating, responding, and at the moment we have no cause for great alarm, but we intend to raise awareness both among professionals about identifying cases (…) and families and people need to go through vaccination,” he said.
Between January and October last year, more than 30,000 cases were reported in 40 of the 53 countries in the WHO European Region, an annual increase of 30%. In 2022, 941 cases were reported.
During this period, there were 20,918 hospitalizations for measles and five deaths in the two countries, according to WHO/Europe.
Lousa Teresa Fernandez recalled, citing WHO, that measles has been eliminated in Portugal since 2012 and that the VASPR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella) is recommended for children aged 12 months, although vaccination in adults is possible.
“The most important thing is the first vaccination at 12 months”, because by this time children have already lost the immunity transmitted by their mother, and therefore “it is not recommended to delay this vaccination, (…) because these are children who are in schools and kindergartens, and there could be an outbreak if there is more than one unvaccinated child,” he warned.
The National Vaccination Program Coordinator also reported that 98% of children aged 12 months to two years have been vaccinated with the first dose, while 95% of children aged 5/6 years have also received the second dose.
“This commitment remains more or less constant,” he stressed.
The vaccination schedule recommends administering the VASPR vaccine to children aged 12 months (1st dose) and 5 years (2nd dose).
Adults born in 1970 or later who have never had the disease or been vaccinated against measles are also eligible to receive a dose of the VASPR vaccine.
According to the DHS, measles is caused by a virus and is one of the most contagious infectious diseases transmitted between people through droplets, droplets or aerosols from infected people.
The disease is usually benign, but in some cases it can be serious or lead to death.
Vaccination is the main preventive measure and the vaccine is part of the National Vaccination Program.