South Korea reports measles case in an international tourist on Jeju Island
In South Korea, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province announced that an epidemiological investigation is underway after a foreign tourist who entered the island on February 1st showing symptoms suspected of measles and tested positive on the evening of February 6th.
The confirmed patient stayed in Vietnam for about a month and a half before entering the country on January 22, and stayed in Seoul before entering Jeju.
An epidemiological investigation is currently underway regarding the patient's movements and contacts.
This is the first time in five years, since 2019 that a measles patient has been reported in Jeju, and the patient was a Jeju resident who had traveled to Vietnam.
Jeju Island Safety and Health Office Director Cho Sang-beom said, “Unvaccinated people and infants under the age of 1 are advised to refrain from visiting countries where measles is prevalent. In unavoidable cases, infants and young children (6 months to 12 months) are advised to receive accelerated measles vaccination.” He also urged, “Medical institutions should suspect measles in patients with fever or rash symptoms who have traveled to countries where measles is prevalent, and thoroughly conduct tests and report to the public health center in charge.”
In 2024, 49 measles cases occurred nationwide, all of which were cases in which patients had traveled abroad or were infected through contact with patients.