Raising awareness about the risk of measles

With an increase in cases of measles, NHS Scotland are launching a campaign to raise awareness of measles and the importance of being protected through vaccination. Within a travel context, Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) are well placed to identify travellers at higher risk of measles infection and those that may require MMR vaccine.

Specific groups at risk include those:

• who will be living and/or working with local populations
• visiting friends and relatives (VFR's)
• younger children who have not yet been fully immunised*
• attending mass gatherings and summer festivals.
• participating in the annual Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage.

In conjunction with specific country pages and disease outbreak notifications, TRAVAX resources that HCPs may find useful in relation to measles includes:

• Travelling Abroad to Attend Festivals and Other Gatherings
• Hajj and Umrah Pilgrimage
• Visiting Friends and Relatives
• Measles/Mumps/Rubella page
• Outbreak alert for measles in Europe

* For children that have not yet received 2 doses of MMR vaccine and travelling to endemic areas, or to an area where there is a current measles outbreak, MMR vaccine can be given earlier than usual. HCPs can access information in relation to this on the TRAVAX Measles/Mumps/Rubella page and in The Green Book: Measles Chapter.

Advice for Travellers

All travellers not up to date with the UK vaccination schedule should consider being vaccinated against MMR, ensuring that they have had two doses of the MMR vaccine.

• Please signpost travellers to NHS Inform: mmragainstmeasles for more information including how they can check their vaccination status and how to get their MMR vaccine locally.

Travellers can be sent fitfortravel information using the suitcase function on TRAVAX. Useful measles resources that you might want to highlight to travellers includes:

• Measles/Mumps/Rubella page
• Travelling abroad to Attend Festivals and Other Gatherings news item
• Hajj and Umrah Pilgrimage page

Travellers returning from abroad and who feel unwell on their return should seek medical advice. They should notify the HCP if they have attended a mass gathering.