The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has urged precaution among travelers as global measles cases rise, while China maintains a relatively low incidence.

Addressing a news conference on Wednesday, Yu Wenzhou, chief physician at the China CDC, said a number of countries have reported a resurgence of measles cases or local outbreaks.

Among the 10 countries with the highest number of measles cases in 2024, six share borders with China, posing a significant risk of imported infections.

However, he said the coverage rate of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine among eligible children in China has remained high, and the overall prevalence of the disease is low. He added that some regions in China have seen an increase in local infections or small clusters of cases.

Health authorities have called for strengthened routine immunization efforts, with a particular focus on areas where vaccination coverage remains weak.

Yu also advised individuals planning overseas travel to closely monitor the epidemic situation in their destination countries and practice personal protection while abroad.

For those traveling to regions severely affected by measles outbreaks, he recommended verifying their vaccination history for measles-containing vaccines before departure.

If necessary, a dose of the MMR vaccine may be administered at least 21 days before travel to ensure adequate protection, he added.

Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease that primarily affects children and can lead to severe complications and even death.

Even though a safe and effective vaccine is available, the virus caused an estimated 95,000 deaths globally in 2024, mostly among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children under 5.

In late January, the World Health Organization announced that Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Spain, the United Kingdom and Uzbekistan had lost their measles elimination status following a spike in infections in 2024.

In the United States, the number of measles cases as of March 12 had climbed to 1,362, more than half of last year's total of 2,248.

wangxiaoyu@chinadaily.com.cn