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Measles in Kenya
On October 24, 2005, the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine (DGMQ), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was notified of an outbreak of measles in the Eastleigh neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya. Measles cases have subsequently been reported throughout Kenya, including in the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps. From October 2005 to April 2006, CDC issued a series of interim recommendations to prevent further transmission in the camps and prevent importation of measles into the United States.
The current recommendations, which have been in effect since April 2006, apply to all refugees in the U.S. Resettlement Program in Kenya. Refugees born in 1957 or later and who are at least 6 months of age are being vaccinated with measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine 21 days before travel unless they have documented immunity. Fever and rash surveillance is also being conducted. Throughout the outbreaks, CDC has been working with the Bureau of Populations, Refugees and Migration, the International Organization for Migration, other nongovernmental organizations, including the International Rescue Committee, and CDC staff in Kenya to implement these recommendations.