With a number of measles outbreaks worldwide and reported cases in nearby Venezuela and Brazil, the Ministry of Public Health (MPH) is urging members of the public to get vaccinated against the disease.
Persons can visit nearby health centres or hospitals to receive free measles vaccines.
“The Ministry of Public Health is urging everyone living in Guyana to be vaccinated against the measles disease,” a notice from the MPH, which was published in yesterday’s edition of the Guyana Chronicle, said.
While the notice in the newspaper did not state where persons could obtain the vaccine, Chief Medical Officer Dr Shamdeo Persaud told Stabroek News when contacted that the vaccine could be obtained from any public health centre or hospital. “They can get them [vaccines] from health centres in their communities, any health centre. I am not sure of health posts, but I know they can from any health centre,” Persaud said.
Another medical official, who asked not to be named, explained that the decision was taken as “preventative action” as “there have been outbreaks over in Venezuela and Brazil and we understand the situation where we stand with our porous borders.”
A number of Venezuelans fleeing the economic crisis in their homeland have settled in Guyana.
“Preventative care is number one and it is why the ministry decided,” the official added while explaining that “the Minister of Health would speak to policy decisions.”
Measles is preventable through vaccination but elimination efforts have seen setbacks, mostly due to persons refusing to have their children or themselves vaccinated in some countries. Guyana’s immunization rate is of global standard and Guyana has been certified measles free with the last case of measles recorded in 1991, according to the Pan-American Health Organization.
Listing symptoms, the MPH ad said that “any person suspected of measles will show symptoms of fever; generalized rash; and all, or any of the three Cs (cough, conjunctivitis [red eyes] and choryza) and Koplik spots [clustered, white lesions] inside the mouth are also typical of the disease.”
According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) website, “measles is caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family and it is normally passed through direct contact and through the air. The virus infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body. Measles is a human disease and is not known to occur in animals.”
High fever
The organization further explains that the first sign of measles is usually a high fever, which begins about 10 to 12 days after exposure to the virus, and lasts for 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. After several days, a rash erupts, usually on the face and upper neck. Over about 3 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),” the WHO says.
However, most measles-related deaths are caused by complications associated with the disease, according to the WHO and it lists children under the age of 5, or adults over the age of 30 as more at risk. “The most serious complications include blindness, encephalitis (an infection that causes brain swelling), severe diarrhea and related dehydration, ear infections, or severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia. Severe measles is more likely among poorly nourished young children, especially those with insufficient vitamin A, or whose immune systems have been weakened by HIV/AIDS or other diseases,” the website notes.
If persons exhibit the signs of the disease, the MPH ad states that “laboratory investigation includes serum, urine and nasopharyngeal secretion must be conducted.” All of the samples must be sent to the MPH’s Maternal and Child Health Unit for investigation.
The ad pointed out that “measles is a national notifiable disease” and as such the Chief Medical Officer must be immediately notified of any suspicion of measles cases.
Persaud said that if persons want certificates that they are immunized – a compulsory requirement for travel to some countries – those could only be obtained at the Georgetown, New Amsterdam and the Lethem public hospitals.
Measles cases have continued to climb into 2019, according to the WHO and in a report on the disease, as at April 2019, reported cases worldwide rose by 300 per cent in the first three months of 2019, compared to the same period in 2018. “This follows consecutive increases over the past two years,” the WHO states.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control, as of August 4, 2018, health officials in Brazil reported over 5,000 cases of measles, of which more than 1,000 were confirmed. “The majority of cases continue to be reported in the states of Amazonas and Roraima. In Amazonas State, all reported cases are Brazilian nationals and over 1,800 cases were reported in children less than 9 years old,” the CDC said.
The CDC has also reported the resurgence of the disease in nearby Venezuela citing data which showed that as of October 23, 2018, Venezuela had contributed 68 per cent (5,525 out of 8,091 cases) of the measles cases reported in the Americas and most of the measles-related deaths (73 out of 85).
Anyone needing further information can contact Maternal and Child Health Officer Dr Oneka Scott on telephone numbers 223 7249 or 223 5310.
