The incidence of measles in Andalusia is the highest of the last fourteen years

In fact, the serious complications that this virus exercises in the human organism may sound like a problem of yesteryear. However, in recent months a growing volume of cases is being registered in Andalusia which is raising an incidence that has not been seen for more than a decade.

According to the report sent by the Ministry of Health and Consumption last Tuesday – new advance of a weekly monitoring series – since 2025 began up to 58 cases in the Andalusian territory, derived from up to ten outbreaks of which five remain active. The two most recent infections, of this week, are limited to a previously identified outbreak in the Huelva town of Lucena del Puerto.

From the department of Public Health and Pharmaceutical Planning From the Board a message of tranquility is transferred while Andalusia has vaccination coverage of 95 percent. However, the speech collides with the awareness strategy launched by the Ministry that, for weeks, tries to make the population understand that the measles “is not a game.”

«It is the most contagious virus we know. A patient can contaminate 20 people from their surroundings if they are likely to infect, ”explains the director of this unit, Manuel Fernández Zurbaránwhich remembers death data from this virus collected by WHO: 100,000 people, especially children under 5 years, world Even encephalitis. «Nor to banalize,” he recalca.

This facultative specialized in preventive medicine and public health emphasizes that this respiratory infection virus “does not need a contact as narrow as flu or covid to spread.” «Just be in the same waiting room of a hospital or in a closed cabin like a plane or bus. Because it also endures two hours in suspension even if the person is no longer, ”he adds.

Vaccination call

Measles are fought with prophylaxis that is integrated into the injection of the Viral triple —The other two diseases are rubel and the parotitis-. After a first dose that applies to 12 months – before it is not viable because the child’s immune system is not yet prepared to combat the living, but attenuated virus, that is inoculated and develop the antibodies – and that leaves a general protection of 93 percent, a second to the three years that raises the 97%protection is administered.

This means there is Three percent of the population that does not effect and that can be infected in some current outbreak. “That the rest is vaccinated is an indirect way to protect them,” he clarifies. WHO herself estimates that so far from the 21st century they have been able to save 60 million lives worldwide thanks to the vaccine.

On the other hand, the prevention campaign pulls the colorful aesthetics of the videogames of the 80s and 90s. It is not accidental, because it is oriented to that fork of almost 50 years that may not be vaccinated in their childhood and the disease has not passed naturally either.

Efforts and concern, therefore, are more focused on eradicating measles than to a potential public health problem. “We have a device prepared to deal with the outbreaks, which also vaccines daily,” he adds on an operation to which he is going to reinforce with 200 extra doses in a deposit in each Andalusian provincial reference hospital —400 in the case of Malaga for being the most affected territory, with 32 cases. In any case, the vaccine, free, is accessible from any health center.

Immunization is usually for life, «although people vaccinated 30 years ago they are now infected and they take measles Mild, without rashes or eruptions».

The situation that Andalusia is going through is of course not an isolated issue, but responds to a global trend. “In CanadaThere were not so many cases since 1998 and USAconsidered in the measles removal phase, has returned to previous levels, ”he concludes. Given that, it only remains to bet on the main shield, vaccination, so as not to return to 2,272 Andalusian cases of the year 2011.