On June 16, 2015, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced one new indigenous measles case confirmed in an 11-month-old boy who resides in central Taiwan. During May 18 and 27, he sought medical attention twice and was hospitalized for one week after developing runny nose, fever and shortness of breath. After he was discharged, he sought medical attention four times during June 1 and 6, and was diagnosed with suspected measles infection and then hospitalized in the negative pressure isolation room. Infection with measles was later confirmed in the case. At the time of writing, the case has been discharged. Since the case had not recently traveled overseas, Taiwan CDC determined the case to be an indigenous case. The possible source of infection is still being investigated.

To prevent further transmission of the disease, the health authorities has implemented a number of prevention measures and identified 199 contacts, including his family members, healthcare personnel and patients that he came into contact with when he sought medical attention, to monitor and follow up until June 25. Currently, none of them has developed suspected symptoms. Thus far this year, a total of 21 indigenous measles cases (19 were clustered cases who work at the same place) and 3 imported measles cases from China have been confirmed in Taiwan. During the same period last year, 17 measles cases were confirmed, including 3 indigenous cases and 14 imported cases (5 imported from the Philippines, 5 imported from China, and 1 each from Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Vietnam.

Taiwan CDC reminds that vaccination remains the best way to prevent measles. In Taiwan, the existing routine childhood vaccination schedule recommends a dose of MMR vaccine to children 12 months of age and another dose to first graders in elementary schools. Unvaccinated infants and children, those who do not receive vaccine in a timely manner and those who have never been infected with measles are high-risk groups. Parents are urged to ensure timely vaccination of children under one year old and those who have not completed the MMR vaccine series and avoid bringing unvaccinated children to the affected areas in order to prevent infection. Travelers planning to visit affected areas are advised to visit the outpatient travel clinic at 26 contracted hospitals in the nation to determine the need for MMR vaccination 2 to 4 weeks prior to their trip. If symptoms pertaining to measels infection such as fever, fatigue, nasopharyngitis and obviously swollen lymph nodes behind the ears, and generalized irregular papules, joint pain or arthritis develop after returning to Taiwan from affected areas, please put on a mask, seek immediate medical attention, and voluntarily inform the physician of relevant travel and exposure history. For more information, please visit the Taiwan CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).