Health Protection Agency (HPA) has announced that a suspected measles case has been reported in the Maldives less than three years after the country eradicated the disease.

HPA stated that work was underway to determine the suspected measles case, and urged others to vaccinate accordingly in the time specified.

The Maldives was designated by the World Health Organization as a measles free country in 2017 and along with Bhutan became one of the first two countries in the region to achieve this.

Vaccinations in the Maldives were commenced in 1976 to prevent infectious diseases from being spread to infants. Measles vaccination in the country was started in 1983. The last reported case of measles in the country was in 2009.

Pediatrician Dr. Ahmed Faisal urged parents to check the vaccine cards of their children.

“There are few ways to control a disease if they are infected with it because they didn’t vaccinate,” said Dr. Faisal.

Measles is a highly contagious virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person. It can spread to others through coughing and sneezing, or bodily fluids.

What are the symptoms of measles?

Fever.

Dry cough.

Runny nose.

Sore throat.

Inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis)

Tiny white spots with bluish-white centers

The only way to stay safe from the disease is by vaccination. However, due to misconceptions surrounding vaccination its unproved alleged connection with autism has led to some people shunning away from vaccine treatments In some countries recently.