The highest number of measles patients in Korea in six years...the vast majority of Vietnamese infections
May 05, 2025
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According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a total of 52 measles patients were reported until the 1st of this year.
This is more than 49 patients in the entire year of last year and the highest number in six years since 2019 (194 annually).
The number of measles patients in Korea was 6 in 2020, 0 in 2021 and 2022, and 8 in 2023.
Korea is a measles eradication country certified by the World Health Organization (WHO).
During the measles pandemic between 2001 and 2002, 55,000 patients occurred, but the number of patients plummeted due to the government's intensive eradication project, and the measles eradication was declared in 2006.
Of this year's 52 measles patients, 34 were found to have been infected abroad, and the remaining 18 were transmitted from home or medical institutions through these overseas patients. Most of the overseas inflows were identified as infection from southern Vietnam.
Meanwhile, measles is an acute febrile rash disease caused by measles virus infection. Measles can cause fever, rash, cough, runny nose, and conjunctivitis. Most go through a naturally recovering clinical course, but rarely can be accompanied by severe complications in the respiratory and central nervous system.
Among adults born since 1967, general adults who are not immune to measles and are healthy should be vaccinated against measles at least once, and if there is no presumptive evidence of measles immunity, such as overseas travel, it is recommended to be vaccinated twice at least 28 days apart. Generally, if you have experienced a natural infection or have been vaccinated twice, and if you have a positive measles-specific antibody IgG, you can consider yourself immune to measles.
Measles vaccination history can be found on the vaccination assistant site of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, if you were inoculated before 2002, there may be no record, so in this case, blood tests can be used to check for antibodies.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
