By Adam Leposa, June 19, 2019
Researchers who work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued a reminder that travelers headed to Europe should make sure their vaccinations are up to date before heading to the continent. The notice was part of a study published earlier this week in the journal Pediatrics.
In the report the researchers noted that Europe saw over 41,000 reported measles cases from January through June of last year, including 37 deaths and marking a record high since the 1990’s. At the same time, a lack of knowledge regarding the disease could put travelers at risk.
“Europe is the most common travel destination worldwide and is widely perceived as being without substantial infectious disease risks,” the CDC researchers wrote in the abstract of the report. “For this reason, travelers may not consider the relevance of a pre-travel health consultation, including vaccination, in their pre-departure plans… The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourage US travelers to be aware of measles virus transmission in Europe and receive all recommended vaccinations, including for measles, before traveling abroad.”
The report notes that the majority of cases of the disease have been reported in the Ukraine, but France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Russia and Serbia have also seen a high number of cases.
The CDC issued a global notice regarding measles earlier this summer, noting that outbreaks of the disease are occurring around the world and recommending that, regardless of where they are going, travelers should make sure they are fully protected against the disease before they set out.