Sweden reports rare measles outbreak following folk music festival
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Cases were reported in several regions of Sweden but were all connected to the Urkult folk music festival held in the country’s north.
ST FILE
- Sweden reported 21 measles cases linked to the Urkult folk music festival in the north, mostly affecting unvaccinated people under 18.
- Measles outbreaks are rare in Sweden, where vaccination coverage is about 95% through the national childhood programme.
- Health authorities are conducting contact tracing to control the spread, as measles can cause serious complications like pneumonia and brain inflammation.
AI generated
STOCKHOLM – Sweden’s Public Health Agency said on Aug 19 it had recorded 21 cases of measles connected to a folk music festival in the country’s north.
The agency said the cases were reported in several regions but were all connected to the music festival Urkult, which was held in the north of Sweden in late July and early August.
A majority of those affected were under the age of 18 and most of the cases involved people who had not been vaccinated.
“Outbreaks of measles are rare. Vaccination against measles is included in the national childhood vaccination programme, and vaccination coverage is around 95 per cent,” the health agency said in a statement.
It added that regional health authorities were carrying out contact tracing to limit the spread.
Measles causes fever, respiratory symptoms and skin rashes.
In some cases, it can also lead to more severe complications, including pneumonia and brain inflammation, which can lead to serious long-term impacts and death. AFP