Latest news with #DutchNationalInstituteforPublicHealthandtheEnvironment
Ya Biladi
03-04-2025
- Health
- Ya Biladi
Measles spread in Amsterdam prompts travel advisory for families going to Morocco
Health authorities in Amsterdam are ramping up efforts to warn families traveling to Morocco for the May holiday amid a significant measles outbreak in the country, reported De Telegraaf on Wednesday. The number of measles cases in the city's Nieuw-West district has risen from 20 to 32 in the past week, with infections now spreading beyond the initial outbreak at a primary school. Amsterdam Alderman for Health, Alexander Scholtes, expressed deep concern over the growing number of cases, particularly as four children have been hospitalized. Investigations revealed that none of the infected children had been vaccinated against measles. The outbreak in Nieuw-West is believed to have originated after an older sibling contracted measles while abroad, highlighting the risk of international travel in spreading the disease. Given the ongoing outbreak in Morocco, the municipality has launched an awareness campaign urging families to vaccinate their children before traveling. Authorities have also extended this advice to travelers heading to Romania, another country experiencing a surge in measles cases. «With the city's vaccination rate, it was never a question of if there would be a measles outbreak, but when. That time has now come», Scholtes stated. In response to the rising cases, some local officials have proposed more proactive vaccination strategies, such as deploying mobile vaccination units in neighborhoods, similar to efforts in Rotterdam. Last week in Rotterdam, a measles outbreak at an Islamic primary school was reported after a student's visit to Morocco during the spring break. 50 students reported sick by early this week, prompting its closure. To combat the spread, a special vaccination drive was organized. This is not the first time recent measles cases in the Netherlands have been linked to Morocco. Earlier in March, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) reported that 17 measles infections have traced back to Morocco. Similar trends have also been observed in France, Spain, and Belgium.
Ya Biladi
02-04-2025
- Health
- Ya Biladi
Measles spread in Amsterdam prompts travel advisory for families going to Morocco
Health authorities in Amsterdam are ramping up efforts to warn families traveling to Morocco for the May holiday amid a significant measles outbreak in the country, reported De Telegraaf on Wednesday. The number of measles cases in the city's Nieuw-West district has risen from 20 to 32 in the past week, with infections now spreading beyond the initial outbreak at a primary school. Amsterdam Alderman for Health, Alexander Scholtes, expressed deep concern over the growing number of cases, particularly as four children have been hospitalized. Investigations revealed that none of the infected children had been vaccinated against measles. The outbreak in Nieuw-West is believed to have originated after an older sibling contracted measles while abroad, highlighting the risk of international travel in spreading the disease. Given the ongoing outbreak in Morocco, the municipality has launched an awareness campaign urging families to vaccinate their children before traveling. Authorities have also extended this advice to travelers heading to Romania, another country experiencing a surge in measles cases. «With the city's vaccination rate, it was never a question of if there would be a measles outbreak, but when. That time has now come», Scholtes stated. In response to the rising cases, some local officials have proposed more proactive vaccination strategies, such as deploying mobile vaccination units in neighborhoods, similar to efforts in Rotterdam. Last week in Rotterdam, a measles outbreak at an Islamic primary school was reported after a student's visit to Morocco during the spring break. 50 students reported sick by early this week, prompting its closure. To combat the spread, a special vaccination drive was organized. This is not the first time recent measles cases in the Netherlands have been linked to Morocco. Earlier in March, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) reported that 17 measles infections have traced back to Morocco.
Ya Biladi
20-03-2025
- Health
- Ya Biladi
Measles cases in the Netherlands linked to infections imported from Morocco
DR Estimated read time: 1' Measles infections in the Netherlands have surged in recent weeks, with many of the reported cases imported from Morocco. Since September 2023, Morocco has been grappling with an unprecedented measles epidemic, reporting nearly 25,000 suspected cases, including 6,300 confirmed, and 120 deaths. According to data from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), 45 new measles cases have been reported in the Netherlands in the past two weeks. Among those infected, at least 17 contracted the virus while in Morocco. The rise in infections in the Netherlands is partly attributed to declining vaccination rates, with 202 reported cases in 2024 and already over half that number this year. Similar trends are being reported in France and Spain, where measles cases imported from Morocco have recently been detected. In Spain, 107 confirmed measles cases were reported in the first eight weeks of 2025, across eight active clusters in various regions. Spanish health authorities have indicated that 34% of confirmed cases in Spain this year are linked to imported infections, primarily from Morocco and Romania. In France, health authorities reported 13 cases of measles imported or linked to imports after a stay in Morocco since January 1, 2025, across several regions.
