On Monday, the Directorate General of Health (DGS) in Portugal reported three additional confirmed measles cases in the country, bringing the total to 24 confirmed, according to a Publico report (computer translated).
For the year-to-date, 87 cases have been reported; however, only 24 have been confirmed. Of the confirmed cases, 11 were health-care workers and four did not have the vaccines up-to-date. There are only two people hospitalized and one is the sister of the teenager who died last week.
Most of the patients are from the region of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo (16). There are also seven confirmed cases in the Algarve and one in the Northern region, health officials note.
In Europe, the latest assessment reveals more than 7500 cases of measles, with Romania being the most affected country with 4793 patients reported between January 2016 and April 7 this year, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. In total there are 25 deaths in Europe, 22 of which have occurred in Romania. Portugal, Switzerland and Bulgaria are the other three countries with fatalities.
In Portugal, the National Vaccination Program (PNV) is not mandatory, but is complied with by most children with rates of around 95%; however, there are areas where the percentage of vaccinees is lower.
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