With measles cases on the rise, health authorities are stepping up their response and urging the public to stick to vaccination guidelines. The Ministry of Health & Wellness is reminding parents that children should receive two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, one at twelve months and another at eighteen months. Anyone over eighteen months who hasn’t been vaccinated should get two doses, spaced a month apart. If you’ve only had one shot, a booster is recommended. And if you’re unsure of your vaccination status, health officials say it’s safest to get one dose. As for travel to Spanish Lookout, the center of the current outbreak, the Ministry is advising the public to proceed with caution.
Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa, Director of Public Health & Wellness
“It urges caution when visiting the area if you are unvaccinated. So if you are vaccinated, feel free to visit the area. If your children are vaccinated, feel free. We want to stress that it’s the unvaccinated who are the persons at risk. So if you are not vaccinated please take caution, please ensure that especially the at-risk kids, children five and under, if you are not vaccinated, talk to us, ask us to clarify any questions or concerns. Ask us to clarify any questions or concerns that you might have about the vaccine and we would be willing to help in that regard.”
Unvaccinated people exposed to measles must quarantine for up to twenty-one days. Those who are vaccinated do not need to isolate. However, the MMR vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women or people with weakened immune systems. Health officials are calling on the public to stay alert and get vaccinated to help stop the spread.