Health ministry says no measles cases in Jamaica; MMR vaccination slightly below target

The Ministry of Health and Wellness says while there are currently no local or imported cases of measles in Jamaica, the country maintains a robust surveillance system for fever and rash.

It says all cases are reported within 24 hours, while suspected measles cases are reported immediately.

Jamaica has had no local spread of measles since 1991 with the last imported case reported in 2011.

This week the Pan American Health Organization warned that the risk of outbreaks has increased, given the increase in measles cases worldwide and urged member countries to strengthen surveillance and rapid response to these diseases, as well as to achieve vaccination coverage of at least 95 per cent with two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Jamaica's health ministry said local vaccination coverage for MMR has been relatively high over the years, with preliminary figures for 2024 at 94 per cent for MMR1 and 93 per cent for MMR2.

This means the target of at least 95 per cent has not been met.

The ministry is reminding all parents and guardians to ensure their children’s MMR vaccination status is up to date for their age to ensure the best protection against measles.

"Measles is a highly contagious illness caused by a virus that replicates in the nose and throat of an infected child or adult. To stop the disease from spreading, if there is an outbreak, 95% of children in Jamaica need to be fully vaccinated with the two doses- MMR1 at 12 months and MMR2 at 18 months," it said.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie, noted that “most cases of measles are mild, and symptoms usually appear 10-12 days after exposure to an infected person but may appear as early as seven days and as late as 21 days after exposure. Measles typically begins with a high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes.”

Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash breaks out, usually as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet. Small, raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots.

The CMO further cautioned that “complications from measles include ear infection and diarrhoea, while severe complications include pneumonia, swelling of the brain and death. Infected pregnant women may give birth prematurely or have a low-birth-weight baby”.

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