The US Embassy in Nairobi has issued a health alert to its citizens living in Kenya.
Through a statement released on Wednesday, March 16, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raised concerns over the high cases of measles in Kenya and the African continent.
To protect its citizens from the highly infectious disease that spreads through contact or air droplets, the US Embassy issued health protocols they should adhere to while traveling across Africa.
The Embassy also directed the American citizens, including children, to get vaccinated before traveling to Africa to avoid contracting the contagious disease.
"All travelers to Africa, including infants and pre-school aged children, should be fully vaccinated against measles, according to CDC immunization schedules," the Embassy stated.
The Embassy further directed its citizens to go for medical check ups to be sure of their status.
"If you are not sure if you or your travel companions are fully protected against measles, schedule an appointment to see your healthcare provider at least one month before traveling so that you have enough time to get vaccinated," the Embassy advised.
US citizens with preexisting medical conditions were advised to reconsider their travel plans since they are more vulnerable than other members of society.
"If you don’t think you can safely receive a measles-containing vaccine, talk to your doctor and consider making alternative travel plans."
In June 2021, Kenya rolled out a 10-day immunization campaign against measles and rubella targeting 4 million children aged nine months to five years.
This was after a research was done in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) detailed low vaccination uptake amongst children.
"The unprecedented increase in the number of unvaccinated children, accumulation of susceptible children to more than 2.1 million and the ongoing pandemic has aided outbreaks," the Ministry of Health stated at the time.
WHO added that in Kenya, children were among the 16.6 million people in Africa who missed the supplemental vaccination against measles between January 2020 and April 2021.
Signs, Symptoms, Prevention
According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, signs and symptoms of measles start showing 7- 14 days after infection. The signs include high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes.
Common measles complications include ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia and encephalitis.
The disease can be prevented with MMR vaccine, which protects the population against three diseases, namely measles, mumps, and rubella.
