But we are not immune to the global measles situation.
Infants under one year of age are particularly vulnerable – they are too young to receive their first MMR dose under the current National Childhood Immunisation Schedule. Those who have received only a single dose of the vaccine and adults vaccinated decades ago may no longer enjoy full immunity.
The rise in global measles cases will mean more frequent importation of the virus into Singapore and higher risk of exposure for residents who travel overseas. Both scenarios may potentially lead to localised outbreaks, especially in settings such as infant care centres.
The pending void created by recent cuts in international aid cannot be easily filled, if at all.
However, countries with established expertise and capacity – including Singapore – could consider increasing contributions to regional vaccination efforts and outbreak response capabilities through bilateral partnerships or regional mechanisms such as ASEAN and the WHO Regional Office.
Such investments should neither be viewed as purely diplomatic gestures nor drains on national resources. They represent strategic and effective public health protection for the contributing countries themselves, reducing the risk of measles or other communicable diseases crossing borders.
It is important to recognise that measles vaccination is one of the “best buys” in public health intervention. For every dollar spent on measles vaccination, countries are estimated to receive up to US$58 in economic and social returns from reduced healthcare costs to increased productivity of those who would otherwise have been felled by the virus. Few public health interventions deliver such extraordinary returns.
Singapore must continue to ensure high vaccination rates and vigilance for more imported cases. This requires us to counter vaccine misinformation and address hesitancy.
We must robustly challenge misconceptions spread by anti-vaccine activism. Measles is not a mild childhood illness. The MMR vaccine is safe and is not associated with autism – the notorious study that made this claim has been debunked as fraudulent.
Measles is a test of a public health system’s strength. With the global surge in cases, the proverbial canary in the coal mine has sounded a clear warning against complacency, even for countries that have eliminated measles.
Professor Hsu Li Yang is Director, Asia Centre for Health Security at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore.
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Infants under one year of age are particularly vulnerable – they are too young to receive their first MMR dose under the current National Childhood Immunisation Schedule. Those who have received only a single dose of the vaccine and adults vaccinated decades ago may no longer enjoy full immunity.
The rise in global measles cases will mean more frequent importation of the virus into Singapore and higher risk of exposure for residents who travel overseas. Both scenarios may potentially lead to localised outbreaks, especially in settings such as infant care centres.
REVERSING A DANGEROUS TREND
The pending void created by recent cuts in international aid cannot be easily filled, if at all.
However, countries with established expertise and capacity – including Singapore – could consider increasing contributions to regional vaccination efforts and outbreak response capabilities through bilateral partnerships or regional mechanisms such as ASEAN and the WHO Regional Office.
Such investments should neither be viewed as purely diplomatic gestures nor drains on national resources. They represent strategic and effective public health protection for the contributing countries themselves, reducing the risk of measles or other communicable diseases crossing borders.
It is important to recognise that measles vaccination is one of the “best buys” in public health intervention. For every dollar spent on measles vaccination, countries are estimated to receive up to US$58 in economic and social returns from reduced healthcare costs to increased productivity of those who would otherwise have been felled by the virus. Few public health interventions deliver such extraordinary returns.
Singapore must continue to ensure high vaccination rates and vigilance for more imported cases. This requires us to counter vaccine misinformation and address hesitancy.
We must robustly challenge misconceptions spread by anti-vaccine activism. Measles is not a mild childhood illness. The MMR vaccine is safe and is not associated with autism – the notorious study that made this claim has been debunked as fraudulent.
Measles is a test of a public health system’s strength. With the global surge in cases, the proverbial canary in the coal mine has sounded a clear warning against complacency, even for countries that have eliminated measles.
Professor Hsu Li Yang is Director, Asia Centre for Health Security at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore.
Continue reading...