INFO:

The Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) is advising the public to get the MMR vaccine after another case of measles was discovered in western Belize. Last month, for the first time in thirty-four years the ministry confirmed a measles outbreak in Belize. On April 12, the ministry reported two lab-confirmed cases in unvaccinated persons, who had recently returned from Chiapas, Mexico. And, on April 27, five additional clinically diagnosed cases linked to one of the original patients were confirmed. Since then, the ministry has ramped up its surveillance efforts and detected suspected cases in the Spanish Lookout community linked to recent travel to Chihuahua, Mexico. MOHW is now urging unvaccinated individuals to avoid travel to the community until further notice and to get immunized. Dr. Melissa Diaz Musa, Director of Health and Wellness, spoke about the recent findings and the ministry’s efforts to mitigate the disease’s spread.