00:44 Cruise Ship Quarantined in St. Lucia Over Confirmed Measles Case A U.S. cruise ship has been placed in quarantine in St. Lucia after a case of measles was reported on board. Officials say a female crew member has a confirmed case of the infectious disease and is in stable condition.

At a Glance A cruise ship was quarantined Monday off the island of St. Lucia after a staff member became ill with the measles.

The ship is owned and operated by the Church of Scientology

The ship left St. Lucia's port on Thursday.

A cruise ship owned and operated by the Church of Scientology was quarantined Monday off the coast of the Caribbean's St. Lucia island after a staff member became ill with a confirmed case of measles.

The St. Lucia government ordered the quarantine and would not allow anyone to debark from the ship after confirming an unidentified female staff member had contracted the disease.

"Measles is a highly contagious disease . Anyone who is not adequately immunized against measles can contract the disease if there has been close contact with a confirmed case," Dr. Merlene Fredericks-James, the island nation's chief medical officer, said in a video statement. "It is therefore likely that other persons on the boat may have been exposed."

Fredericks-James said the ill staff member was in isolation on the ship and is in stable condition.

Local authorities declined to name the ship, but St. Lucia Coast Guard Sgt. Victor Theodore told NBC News the vessel involved is the "Freewinds ," a 440-foot cruise ship owned and operated by the Church of Scientology.

The ship was not prevented from leaving St. Lucia while the quarantine was in place and left port Thursday , CNN reports.

Measles has made a disturbing comeback within the past few months, with more than 700 cases reported, the highest number of reported cases since 1994, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection. The spike is being partially blamed on people who chose to not vaccinate their children.

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The CDC's Nancy Messonnier told weather.com that unvaccinated individuals are particularly vulnerable when traveling abroad.

"Measles is imported when an unvaccinated traveler visits a country where there is widespread measles transmission, gets infected with measles and returns to the United States. That traveler then exposes people in their community who are not vaccinated," Messonnier said.

She noted that 44 cases so far this year were directly imported from other countries. Among the 44 internationally imported measles cases, more than 90 percent were in unvaccinated people.

Messonnier noted that it's not only important for children to be vaccinated, but that adults should also verify their immunity status as well. Those born before 1957 may have had shots at some point in their lives but should be tested to verify their immunity. Those born between 1957 and 1989 may want to also be tested or get a booster because they may have been under-vaccinated.

While the general public tends to have the perception that the Church of Scientology is against medical intervention, its website says it does allow prescription drugs and treatment by a doctor for illnesses and injuries. However, the church has not made a clear statement on its position on vaccinations.

The Freewinds is used as a base to deliver the church's highest level counseling course called Operating Thetan Level VIII . The ship is touted as the home of “a religious retreat ministering the most advanced level of spiritual counseling in the Scientology religion” that is “the pinnacle of a deeply spiritual journey.”