90% of Hong Kong SAR Airport Staff Immune to Measles Virus

Hong Kong health authorities announced some good news regarding the ongoing measles vaccination service for the local airport staff. 

According to the South China Morning Post, blood tests conducted on March 27, 2019, found almost 90 percent of airport staff were immune to the highly contagious disease.

Further analysis of the blood tests found those airport staff born before 1967 were 100 percent immune to the disease. 

This new data means fewer Hong Kong Airport staff will need to be vaccinated against measles.   

“I can ensure you that for every 100 people that go to the station for vaccination, 86 don’t need it,” said Dr. Yuen Kwok-yung, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong.   

“So, I really want to stress that there’s no need to panic and worry.” 

This situation became worldwide news on March 25th, 2019, when the Hong Kong SRA Centre for Health Protection reported the 20th measles case related to the Hong Kong International Airport. 

This is a global concern, since the Hong Kong airport services over 72 million passengers and reaches 220 countries annually. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests visitors to Kong Kong confirm their immunity status for Routine Vaccines, which includes measles and Hepatitis A. 

Travel vaccine and medication counseling sessions can be scheduled at Vax-Before-Travel. 

Measles vaccinations can cause side effects, which should be reported to your healthcare provider and the CDC.