CDC issues travel notice for Vietnam due to measles outbreak
Because of the measles outbreak in Vietnam in 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel notice today for people headed to the southeast Asian country.
Image/CIA
According to the advisory, the Vietnam Ministry of Health has reported some 8,700 suspected measles cases and 112 deaths from measles as of April 18, 2014. Most of the deaths reported were in children with underlying medical conditions. About 60% of the reported measles cases are from the Northern region and about 30% are from the Southern region of Vietnam.
The number of measles cases reported in the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region Measles-Rubella Bulletin for May 2014 shows a total of 5,594 suspected and confirmed measles cases.
This is the second travel notice issued for a southeast Asian country due to a measles outbreak. Last week, an updated travel notice for the Philippines was issued. The Philippines has recorded more than 40,000 suspected and confirmed cases as of April 30.
CDC recommends that travelers to Vietnam protect themselves by making sure they are vaccinated against measles, particularly infants 6–11 months of age (1 dose of measles vaccine) and children 12 months of age or older (2 doses of measles vaccine). Clinicians should keep measles in mind when treating patients with fever and rash, especially if the patient has recently traveled internationally. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page.
