A large outbreak of measles has been reported from Ukraine, with more than 17,000 cases since the beginning of January. More than 40% of the cases have been reported from Kiev, but cases are reported from all provinces in the country. Over 80% of the patients are adults
Comment
Such a large out break show that the childhood vaccination programme has not been functioning and the large proportion of adults show that the problem goes back probably more than a decade.
It is therefore expected that the outbreak will spread to neighbouring countries previously part of the Soviet Union like for instance Russia and Belarus.
Travellers to Ukraine should either have had measles or be immunized.
