Measles cases recorded among unvaccinated individuals — Health Ministry

AMMAN — All 27 people currently infected with measles had not received their vaccine, Director of the Epidemiology Department at the Health Ministry Ayman Maqableh said on Sunday.

In a statement to Al Mamlaka on Sunday, Maqableh said that the patients, who do not require hospitalisation, have been isolated at home. Patients whose condition requires hospitalisation have been allocated specific medical staff since the first infection was discovered on April 16.

Maqableh added that cases include various different age groups across a number of governorates, noting that the majority of measles cases were found in infants under one year old and children 12 years and older.

He noted that the vaccine is administered to children through a comprehensive national programme of three doses at the ages of 9 months, one year and one and a half years old.

The official added that the Ministry of Health has implemented the vaccination programme in remote areas and in all schools to ensure students have vaccine cards in addition to raising awareness of the need to adhere to vaccination dates.

The official cautioned that the disease is highly contagious, and someone infected with measles could spread the disease to up to between 16 and 17 uninoculated individuals.

Maqableh stressed the need to adhere to vaccine appointments per the recommended timeline, stressing that it is the only solution to avoid its spread.

The measles vaccine was introduced in the Kingdom's national vaccination programme in 1982. The measles protection rate after the second dose is 95 per cent, reaching 99 per cent after the third dose, Al Mamlaka added.

Measles is a highly contagious and serious disease caused by a virus. Before the introduction of measles vaccine in 1963 and widespread vaccination, major epidemics occurred approximately every two to three years, and caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) website.

The first sign of measles is usually a high fever, which begins about 10 to 12 days after exposure to the virus, and lasts from 4 to 7 days. A runny nose, a cough, red and watery eyes, and small white spots inside the cheeks can develop in the initial stage, the website added. 

After several days, a rash erupts, usually on the face and upper neck. Over about three days, the rash spreads, eventually reaching the hands and feet. The rash lasts for 5 to 6 days, and then fades. On average, the rash occurs 14 days after exposure to the virus (within a range of 7 to 18 days), according to the WHO.