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Five fatalities reported in three border provinces, where vaccination rates are traditionally low.
Health authorities have launched an intensive vaccination campaign following the deaths of five people in the latest outbreak of measles in Thailand’s three southernmost provinces.
Three of the five victims who died from the highly contagious disease over the past month in Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani were under age 15.
The other two victims were aged 32 and 43, said Dr Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), who described the situation as as severe and “very worrisome”.
From Jan 1 to Sept 2, a total of 4,408 people were suspected of having contracted measles, with 2,371 cases confirmed by laboratory tests. Among those infected, 371 developed pneumonia as a complication.
Dr Thongchai said measles is preventable with the appropriate vaccine.
Between 80% and 90% of the national population has been vaccinated against measles, but the far South has a vaccination rate of only 40–50%. In such a low-vaccination environment, one infected person can potentially spread the disease to at least 50 others.
Dr Thongchai said the vaccination campaign would focus on kindergarten and primary school students.
Authorities are rushing to conduct vaccinations in schools before the school break next month, as it will be harder to track students and administer the vaccine to them individually at home.
“Measles can infect people year-round, but outbreaks tend to occur from July to September,” said Dr Thongchai.
“We need to vaccinate as many people as possible. It’s all about prevention through vaccination, and it’s imperative that we take action.”
He attributed the low vaccination rate in the far South to concerns about post-vaccination side effects. Some children develop a fever after the injection, leading parents to keep their children out of school. They then stay home to care for them, which can result in a loss of income.
Dr Thongchai said that since vaccination is non-compulsory, local administrative organisations have a responsibility to educate residents about the benefits of vaccines in preventing outbreaks.
Dr Woraya Luang-on, director of the department’s General Contagious Disease Division, said the measles vaccine is administered in two doses: the first between nine and 12 months of age, and the second at 18 months.
Both doses must be administered to achieve full vaccine efficacy, she added. For the vaccine to provide complete protection, the vaccination rate must exceed 95% of the population in a given area.
Measles, a childhood infection caused by a virus, typically presents with symptoms such as fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough and inflamed eyes.
