The Canary Islands Health Service has confirmed a measles outbreak in Tenerife involving four cases. The initial case is a child from the UK who tested positive after returning home from a holiday on the island.
Health officials report that one person has been hospitalised, and the other three cases are linked to the initial infection. None of them were vaccinated against measles, as the vaccine isn’t recommended for those aged between 45 and 55.
Since being alerted to the situation, health authorities have activated protocols for evaluation, monitoring, and contact tracing. They are continuing to follow up with anyone who may have been in contact with the confirmed cases.
Health officials stress the importance of receiving both doses of the measles vaccine included in the immunisation schedule to ensure individual protection and prevent the spread of the virus, particularly to those unable to be vaccinated for various reasons. The first dose is administered at 12 months and the second at three years. It’s noted that 95% of the Canarian population is correctly vaccinated during the first year of life.
The authorities recommend that adolescents, young adults, and those born after 1978 who have not had measles or lack documented vaccination records also receive the vaccine. They urge families to check that three-year-olds have both doses completed.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that can start with fever, nasal congestion, and a cough before progressing to a rash that begins on the face and spreads across the body. Although often mild, it can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, otitis, laryngotracheitis, and, in rare cases, encephalitis or death, particularly in children. Health officials remind the public that an infected individual can spread the virus four days before and four days after the rash appears, urging people to avoid contact with those who are not immunised.
