By the A.M.
Costa Rica staff
The
Ministry of Health confirmed this
weekend that two more U.S. children
are infected with measles. Doctors
state that, "the two recent cases
confirmed are one boy of 3-year-old,
one girl of 10-years-old. Last
Thursday confirmed two boys, one of
7 years old and another of 9 years
old," with measles.
At the close of the edition, there
are four sick children who remain in
isolation at their home in Cobano,
Puntarenas*. Two of the
children had previously tested
positive for the virus.
Technicians are still in the
process of testing the rest of the
11 member U.S. family.
The Ministry reported that the
parents have nine children who have
not been vaccinated against the
disease. The children are not
registered in any school and so are
presumed to be home-schooled so the
risk that they have infected other
children is low.
As A.M. Costa Rica reported last
week, The National Board of
Children, known as PANI, will
intervene with the entire family
during the measles incubation
period, keeping them in isolation.
The authorities confirmed that the
minors were not vaccinated and, in
addition, do not attend any
educational center.
The National Board of Children
agreed that they will wait for the
medical treatment of the family to
end in order to carry out an
intervention. The reason that the
investigation continues is that the
doctors had reported that the
children do have not had any of the
vaccinations required by law and
none of them attend school.
Due to security policies regarding
the privacy of patients, the names
of the children and their parents
will not be published.
Daniel Salas, Minister of Health,
reported that "the children could
have acquired the virus from a U.S.
citizen woman who recently visited
the family and had measles symptoms,
and she has left the country."
The children, who were treated at
the Social Security
Cóbano Clinic*, have had a
fever since March 15 and skin
breakouts since March 18.
Given this situation, the
Ministry of Health, together with
Social Security, activated the
protocol established in these cases:
1. Isolation was ordered, medical
attention in the home for the eleven
members of the family: father,
mother and nine children, of whom
four are confirmed to be ill with
the virus.
2. All the medical tests have
already been carried out.
3. The specialists are
investigating the possible contacts
that the children had with other
people in the community.
4. Doctors will review the basic
vaccinations, which have or are
still pending in children. Based on
this study, it will proceed to apply
the vaccines that are pending, if
necessary.
Doctors are calling on health
authorities to remind caregivers
that children need a complete
vaccination scheme (two doses for
measles, one year and three months
and on admission to school).
In case any person has the
following symptoms: fever, nasal
congestion, cough, conjunctivitis,
skin rash that starts on the head
and expands through the body towards
the feet, reaching the hips around
the second day, you must go
immediately to the clinic in your
area.
This case is not related to the
latest case involving a French
tourist family. The last case of
measles infection was from that
family of French tourists.
|
A.M.
Costa Rica wire
services photo
The children could
have acquired the
virus from a U.S.
citizen woman who
recently visited the
family and had measles
symptoms, and she has
left the country.
In
that case the parents
and 5-year-old son,
arrived in the country
on February 18, after
having been infected
with the disease in
France. They entered
the country with
measles and spent one
week in isolation at
the Monseñor
Sanabria hospital in
Puntarenas* on
February 26.
The report in that
case showed that the
child and his mother
had not been
vaccinated against the
virus and the father
did not have a
complete vaccination
record. The parents
stated that some of
their son’s classmates
had measles.
The family remained in
isolation for the
standard seven day
period set by national
and international
precautionary
standards to prevent
the spread of the
virus. Social Security
activated the
isolation protocol
because there are no
native cases of
transmission of the
measles virus.
Social Security has
not reported the costs
of the week-long
medical service
provided to the French
family but did confirm
that the government
will cover the child’s
expenses under the
Code of Childhood and
Adolescence. The
international
insurance company
Europ Assistance
France will pay the
cost of care for the
parents.
According to Dr.
Ramírez "measles is
considered the most
contagious disease
worldwide, with a
transmissible rate of
90 percent, means that
of 10 unvaccinated
people exposed to the
virus, 9 have the
possibility of getting
sick."
The virus spreads
easily through the air
through drops coming
from the nose, mouth
or pharynx due to
coughs and sneezes of
infected people and
the ability of the
virus to replicate is
high.
While there is an
international
transmission of the
virus, there is a high
risk of getting
measles. Doctors are
calling on Costa
Ricans to have their
children vaccinated.
Social Security will
maintain the
‘extraordinary day of
vaccination against
measles’ until March
31.
The vaccination
campaign is aimed at
all children between
15 months and 9 years.
According to Social
Security, 770 thousand
doses of vaccines were
purchased with an
investment that
reached $1.2 million.
-----------
Should
Costa Rica close its
borders to anyone who
has not been vaccinated
for measles or who has
had the disease and is
immune? We would like to
know your thoughts on
this story. Send your
comments to news@amcostarica.com
*Link to reach the place
map.
|
