Making vacation plans? Get your measles vaccine.
ORANJESTAD - If you are traveling to an area where Measles is common, the Department of Public Health (DVG) recommends you get vaccinated!
Soon we will enter the school holidays, and as we know, many locals will be going on vacation to different countries and regions.
The Department of Public Health has been informing the Aruban community that, for the past few weeks, cases of Measles have been increasing in several countries and regions around the world.
Among others:
- Canada
- Mexico
- Various US states: Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, and North Dakota
- Different countries in Europe: Romania, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain
- Various countries in Asia-Pacific: Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, and Mongolia
Travellers are advised to be vaccinated against Measles if:
- You suffer from a disease or health condition that affects your immune system.
- You are not sure if you are vaccinated with 2 vaccines against Measles.
Vaccination can be obtained by "walk-in" at the Infectious Diseases Section at Avisenastraat #1, Oranjestad, at least 7 days before travel.
The vaccine available is the MR (Measles, Rubella) vaccine or the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine that has been on the market since 1971 and is the same vaccine that has been administered in Aruba since 1979 to infants and school children, by the Yellow and White Cross and the Youth Health Care Section of the DVG.
The MR and MMR vaccines are produced using the traditional method and not a modern vaccine using the mRNA method.
Common side effects of the MMR vaccine include:
- Increased body temperature or fever.
- Light rash (the rash disappears and does not require treatment).
- Swollen glands (in the throat or behind the ears).
- Pain at the site of the injection.
Your health is your responsibility. Protect yourself against Measles.
