TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Centers for Disease Control (CDC, 疾管署) reported three new measles cases on Tuesday (Dec. 31), with two linked to a local hospital cluster and one imported. Kuo Hung-wei (郭宏偉), a CDC official, revealed the cases developed symptoms between Dec. 20 and Dec. 27, with rashes appearing from Dec. 24 to Dec. 29.
The local cases involve men in their 50s and 30s who shared exposure with previously reported cases. Meanwhile, the imported case, a man in his 40s, contracted measles after working in Cambodia from Dec. 2 to Dec. 19 and has since been released from isolation. The hospital-related cluster has confirmed 14 cases, with authorities tracking 2,456 contacts, 209 of whom have completed monitoring.
The imported case from Cambodia has 223 contacts under observation until Jan. 15, 2025. As of Dec. 30, Taiwan had recorded 29 measles cases this year, with 19 domestic and 10 imported cases. This is the highest count in five years, though lower than in 2019. Measles outbreaks have surged in parts of Asia, notably in Thailand, since July, peaking in October. Vietnam reported over 20,000 suspected cases.
The CDC advises the public to avoid high-risk areas like medical facilities and practice respiratory hygiene. They urge vaccination as the most effective prevention method, recommending the MMR vaccine for children over one-year-old and those born after 1981 before traveling to affected regions.
