Barbados is not experiencing an outbreak of measles.
This is according to Senior Medical Officer of Health, Dr Karen Broome, who noted that Barbados has not documented a case of measles since 1990.
Speaking on a recent panel at the Cave Hill Wesleyan Man Talk Discussion, the Director of PAREDOS, Sheila Stuart, is quoted as saying: “The Ministry of Health sent four inspectors to check those green cards for immunisation purposes because we have a measles outbreak in Barbados.”
A press release tonight from the Ministry of Health and Wellness stated : “The facts are that the Ministry is conducting a review of vaccine records of children in nurseries and day care centres throughout the island to monitor the vaccination status of children in this age group to make sure that the vaccination of children in these institutions is up-to-date, in order to prevent an outbreak”.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness advised that measles could be prevented once children receive two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine which in Barbados is administered at ages 12 months and 18 months.
The release stated: “If your child has not been vaccinated, you are advised to contact your health care provider immediately”. (CM)
