Amazonas confirms five measles cases in Tabatinga border region

The Amazonas Health Surveillance Foundation (FVS-RCP) has confirmed five cases of measles in Tabatinga, a municipality located in the triple border region between Brazil, Peru, and Colombia. All confirmed cases involve Peruvian nationals, including an 18-year-old man, a 24-year-old adult, and three children aged 1, 2, and 8 years old. The diagnoses were verified through laboratory tests conducted by the Central Public Health Laboratory of Amazonas (Lacen-AM).

In response, the Ministry of Health and FVS-RCP are conducting intensified surveillance and immunization actions in Tabatinga, Atalaia do Norte, and Benjamin Constant between September 21 and 25. These efforts include investigating suspected cases, collecting samples, identifying contacts, and implementing blockade vaccination to interrupt transmission chains.

To mitigate the risk, the Ministry of Health has authorized the administration of a “dose zero” of the measles vaccine for children aged 6 to 11 months in the affected municipalities. This anticipatory dose is a protective measure for high-risk areas and does not replace the standard vaccination schedule, which requires the first regular dose at 12 months and the second at 15 months.