And once again vaccination opponents make headlines! A couple traveled to Costa Rica with their 5-year-old unvaccinated son. Now they are in quarantine. Authorities fear the measles.
The authorities of Costa Rica (Central America) fear that holidaymakers have dragged measles into their country, the British Sun reports. They put the French couple and their 5-year-old son in quarantine at the Puntarenas Hospital – because in Costa Rica there had been no measles case for 13 years. The last – also imported! – Measles case was recorded in 2014.
But back to the beginning: A couple from France traveled with their child to the holiday paradise of Puntarenas, a port city in western Costa Rica. On February 18, 2019, they flew with Air France to Costa Rica. They resided in the hotels San José and in Santa Teresa . When the boy got red rash and fever, his parents took him to the doctor. The diagnosis: measles. The boy was never vaccinated against the infectious disease – as well as his 30-year-old mother. In Costa Rica there is a vaccination obligation with regard to measles.
13 years no measles – and then the vaccine opponents came
Parents have reported to the authorities that their son’s school recently had measles. After a blood test, the case was clear.
The doctor reported it to the local health authority, which shipped the family in quarantine. Meanwhile, the officers contact all persons who came into contact with the family: air passengers and other tourists, hotel employees, restaurant visitors and staff, beach visitors, salesmen. Measles can spread through droplet infection. Four days before the onset of typical disease symptoms, the virus carrier can infect his fellow humans, as well as four days after the onset of the disease.
WHO: Measles can only be eradicated by vaccination
Measles may cause, among other things, middle ear and lung infections as well as brain inflammation, which can be fatal. The World Health Organization ( WHO ) seeks to eradicate the disease because humans are the only host of the virus. However, this can only succeed if all people get vaccinated against measles.
Measles are notifiable in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In France , only since January 2018 is measles vaccination mandatory for children born since then. In the case of the 5-year tourist and his mother, the law comes too late …