Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
26 April 2012 08:54
Vaccinations and medical travel insurance are vital with measles back on the agenda
Health authorities have reported that there were four times more cases and outbreaks of measles than usual in the United States last year.
The highly infectious illness appears to be making an unexpected comeback, with 222 cases and 17 outbreaks recorded in 2011 compared with an annual average of just 60 cases and four outbreaks over the past decade.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention in America is said to have received reports of 27 cases of measles so far in 2012 but Dr Anne Schuchat, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, says it is too early to tell how bad the situation will be this year.
"In 2011, we had the most number of reported measles in the US in 15 years," she said.
"It is too soon in the year to know whether this year will be as bad or worse than last year."
Measles had been declared eliminated in the United States in 2000 after public health measures successfully interrupted the transmission of disease from person-to-person.
However, despite a high vaccination rate of 90%in the country, the disease is still endemic in many other parts of the world and has now returned to the US, making it an important medical travel insurance issue again.
"Measles is extremely infectious and very good at finding those few people who aren't vaccinated," warned Dr Schuchat.
17 August 2018
People living with HIV could be offered a long-lasting injection that controls the virus and protects patients from developing AIDS.
[more...]
16 August 2018
Holidaymakers in the UK will be hit by more train price hikes from next year, after the Government announced ticket prices will increase by 3.2% in January.
15 August 2018
A simple blood test could help GPs detect a rare form of bone marrow cancer much earlier, a new study suggests.
14 August 2018
Passengers arriving at Heathrow Airport last month faced queues of over two and a half hours at passport control, new figures have revealed.
11 August 2018
Hundreds of Ryanair flights will not take off as planned on Friday due to pilot strikes in five countries.
10 August 2018
Fad diets that cut out carbs while increasing fat consumption could lead to an increased risk of diabetes, according to new research.
09 August 2018
HIV testing has become even more accessible after a self-testing kit was made available from a High Street retailer.
08 August 2018
Women patients are more likely to survive a heart attack if they are treated by a female doctor, a new US study has revealed.
07 August 2018
The head of British Airways has branded two-hour queues facing travellers at Heathrow's passport control as a "border farce."
04 August 2018
Simple factors such as gender and body mass can help doctors to personalise care for patients with type 2 diabetes and avoid harmful side effects, according to a study.
03 August 2018
Gatwick Express must no longer claim it runs "non-stop to Victoria station in half an hour" and "in just 30 minutes" unless it can achieve the time in most cases, a watchdog has ruled.
02 August 2018
A charity is calling for greater access to respite support after it emerged that 72% of Britain's 700,000 young carers feel lonely and isolated during the summer holidays.