Following report of measles outbreak in Liberia and other countries in Africa, Sierra Leone’s Risk Communications Officer at the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Harold Thomas, has assured of the country’s preparedness to deal with potential outbreak of the disease in the country, noting that there is enough vaccines in the country for children less than five years.

However, he said that people of other age can as well contact the disease. He said that knowing that the disease is in neighbouring countries, Sierra Leone’s health Ministry is being proactive in response to the situation.

The 17 countries listed to have reported measles outbreaks higher than normal are Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Togo.

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has therefore said that all travelers to Africa, including infants and pre-school aged children, should be fully vaccinated against measles, according to CDC immunization schedule.

It added that destinations reporting measles outbreaks are not the only places the infection is at risk. Locations where measles is common may have many cases but not be considered to have an outbreak. Measles can also spread in airports, on public transportation and at tourists attractions. It is critical for travelers to be protected against measles, regardless of destination.

Measles spreads from person to person by breathing, coughing or sneezing. Signs and symptoms include rash, high fever and cough, runny nose or red watery eyes. People can spread measles up to 4 days before and 4 days after they have a rash. Measles can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia and even death.

Vaccination with a measles containing vaccine is said to be the best way to be protected against the disease. In Sierra Leone, a vaccine for measles is part of the routine vaccines administered in health centers for children less than five years of age.