Measles outbreak in Tenerife believed to have come from Brit boy on holiday

Measles outbreak in Tenerife believed to have come from Brit boy on holiday Four cases of measles have been confirmed so far on Tenerife - the Spanish health ministry believes the outbreak orginated from a British boy on holiday A measles outbreak in Tenerife is believed to have originated from a British boy. The Spanish ministry of health has reported the outbreak and confirmed one of the four people who contracted the highly contagious virus required hospital admission. The outbreak is said to originate from the British child, who was on holiday on the Spanish island for a few days. His illness was confirmed once he returned to the UK, the Spanish ministry of health confirmed on Tuesday. The other three cases associated with the initial one are understood to have had some kind of contact between them. None of them are vaccinated against measles and they are aged between 45 and 55, canariasahora reports. Spanish authorities are now fighting to control the spread of the virus and follow-ups are being conducted with people who have potentially been in contact with those infected. Around 95 per cent of the Canary Islands population is fully vaccinated against measles in the first year of life. The UK had previously eliminated measles in 2016, meaning the virus was no longer native to the country. However, in January this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the UK had lost its measles elimination status. This was following a spread of cases in 2024 and vaccination rates falling below 95 per cent. The MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine is recommended for anyone born on or before December 31, 2019, who missed having this vaccine when they were younger, according to the NHS. The vaccine is usually administered in two doses for long-term protection as the three infections can lead to serious problems, including meningitis, blindness and hearing loss. Most people can have the MMR vaccines, with just a few groups unsuitable for it such as pregnant women, those with weakened immune systems and those who've had severe allergic reactions to vaccines in the past. Measles cases in the UK have been on the rise month-by-month this year, with 182 cases recorded in May, compared to 106 in January. The latest data provided by the Government, which is as recent as June 11, states that eight cases have been confirmed this month. The majority of these were in children aged 10 or under and more than half were in London. The Mirror has approached the Spanish ministry of health for comment.