Rahael to Warriors fans

HEALTH MINISTER John Rahael yesterday said his ministry was on the ball regarding essential health precautions which Trinidad and Tobago nationals travelling to Germany to see next month’s 2006 World Cup Finals needed to take.

In an advisory yesterday, the Health Ministry informed the population that recent outbreaks of measles have been reported in several European nations including Germany, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, Denmark and Greece.

The ministry said the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany has reported 1,106 cases of measles since January. The three cities in this region are Dortmund, Cologne and Gesenkirchen. TT plays Sweden on June 10 in Dortmund, England in Kaiserlautern on June 15 and Paraguay on June 20 in Nuremburg.

The ministry said there is a real possibility of TT nationals travelling to Germany being exposed to the measles virus and “any resident of TT who is travelling to Germany or any of the other affected countries should be immunised against measles before departure.” Last week, third secretary to the German Embassy in Port-of-Spain, Patrick Dzierzon, said 2,726 visas have been issued to TT nationals wanting to travel to Germany for the World Cup.

The ministry said TT travelers to Germany or any of the other affected European nations would be considered immune to measles if they had written proof of receipt of a measles-containg vaccine (preferably two doses, the first received after the first birthday and the second dose at four or preschool entrance).

Travelers over the age of six months who cannot provide these documents are advised to receive measles-containing vaccines (preferably measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) or measles-rubella) at least two weeks before departure. The ministry said there were exceptions for travelers with medical contraindications to measles-containing vaccines such as severe immuno-suppression and pregnancy. Infants aged less than six months should not be vaccinated and infants who received MMR before their first birthday must be re-vaccinated.