The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicks off in Russia next week, but before South Africans rush off to the football spectacle, they are advised to get a measles vaccine.
Measles is a highly infectious virus infection of the respiratory system and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), Europe, and especially Russia, has experienced a measles outbreak.
In 2017, the number of new cases of measles in Europe quadrupled, infecting 22 360 people and leading to 36 deaths, the organisation noted in a news release.
According to the WHO, Europe reported more than 18 000 cases of measles during the first quarter of 2018. France, Greece, Serbia and Ukraine are the countries with the highest number of cases. Russia reported more than 600 cases.
“At the World Cup, we have countries that are endemic to measles and many countries that have recently had large-scale outbreaks, such as Germany and Brazil,” Robb Butler told CNN.
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