In the majority of cases, infected people are not or insufficiently vaccinated (1 dose).
Since the start of the year, the number of measles cases has increased in Occitania. In a national and international context of resurgence of this disease which can be serious, the Occitanie Regional Health Agency recalls that the best way to protect itself and limit the spread of the virus is to be vaccinated.
Since the start of the year, 90 cases of confirmed measles have been declared to ARS Occitanie* (735 cases in France). In the Gard, the number is 13. In the majority of cases, infected people are not or insufficiently vaccinated (1 dose).
In Occitania to date, the measles-to-feed-rubole vaccination coverage (2 doses) is estimated at 85.5 % in children at the age of 33 months, no department reaches the 95 % of vaccination coverage, rate recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to allow the elimination of the disease.
To protect yourself and protect the most fragile, a single reflex: vaccination
To be effectively protected, only one solution: vaccination. The ROR vaccine is recommended from the age of one year, but also in adults born after 1980. Consult your health book to verify that you are well protected. Health professionals, early childhood professionals and teachers are also strongly encouraged to verify their vaccination status.
To vaccinate is also to protect the most fragile which cannot be vaccinated: infants of less than 6 months, pregnant women, immunocompromised people …
A very contagious disease that can be serious
Often wrongly considered benign, measles can cause serious complications (pneumonia, encephalitis …) and hospitalizations. Measles is not just a childhood illness, it also concerns adolescents and adults. It is characterized by a high fever, associated with a cough, a rhinopharyngitis or a conjunctivitis, then by a rash.
The measles is 10 times more contagious than the flu, a patient can contaminate 10 to 15 people. It is very easily transmitted from one person to another through the air, during coughs, hooks, or by contact with contaminated objects (toys, handkerchiefs, …).
If you think you have measles or have been in contact with an infected person, respect the barrier gestures (mask wearing, hand washing …) and quickly contact your doctor.
