England are keeping tabs on a measles outbreak in the United States of America with just two weeks to go until the World Cup. The Three Lions are set to kick off their tournament less than a week later against Croatia.
And with preparations for the World Cup in full swing, the FA have been given fresh food for thought by a fresh outbreak of measles. The United States is reportedly on track for their worst rise in cases of the illness in decades.
The situation has been flagged to all 48 nations set to play at the tournament. According to Mail Online, England are ‘alert’ to the outbreak, having been given advice by FIFA.
It has been suggested in Germany that organisers are mandating every player and staff member to be vaccinated against the illness but that is not thought to be accurate.
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“These outbreaks [this year] are far larger than the US has typically seen in recent decades,’ Mark Jit, Chair and Professor of the Department of Global and Environmental Health at New York University, said to the Daily Mail.
“This is worrying because measles isn’t a mild illness – it can cause serious complications and can occasionally be fatal. So an event that brings large numbers of people together in crowded settings is a concern.
“Measles is one of the most contagious infections we know – it spreads far more easily than flu or Covid for example. If someone with measles was in a crowded stadium, there’s a very good chance that they could infect other unvaccinated people nearby.
“My understanding is that World Cup teams are monitoring their players closely for different infectious diseases, so a measles case will likely be picked up quite soon. The challenge is that someone with measles could spread the virus to others before they get a rash.
View 2 ImagesThe World Cup gets underway in a fortnight(Image: Getty Images)
“The good news is that two doses of the MMR vaccine give very good protection against measles. No vaccine is perfect, but if the entire squad is fully vaccinated, the risk of a team-wide outbreak is extremely low.”
Concerns over the measles outbreak comes just days after the Democratic Republic of Congo were forced to move their pre-tournament training camp amid concerns over a rise in Ebola cases in the African nation.
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FIFA said that “it is aware of and monitoring the situation regarding an Ebola outbreak and is in close communication with the DRC Football Association to ensure that the team are made aware of all medical and security guidance.”
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