By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel notice this week concerning travel to Africa due to measles outbreaks in more than a dozen countries.

Image/CDC

Measles outbreaks are reported in the following countries: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria and South Sudan.

Health authorities say all travelers to Africa, including infants and pre-school aged children, should be fully protected against measles.

Be sure that you and your travel companions (infants 6 months of age and older, children, and adults) are fully protected against measles before any overseas travel.

Measles and SSPE: Progressive, disabling, and fatal

Vaccination with a measles-containing vaccine is the best way to make sure that you are protected. There are two measles-containing vaccines available in the United States: measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) for those aged 6 months and older, and measles, mumps, rubella & varicella (MMRV) vaccine for children aged 1 through 12 years. If you are 12 months of age or older you need two doses of measles vaccine to be fully protected. Infants 6 through 11 months of age should receive one dose of vaccine, though this dose does not count as the first dose in the routine childhood vaccination series. You are also protected if you have laboratory confirmation of a past measles infection or if you were born before 1957.