Netherlands: Cruise Ship to be vaccinated

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Source: http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2009/07/measles_vaccine_for_everyone_o.php

Measles vaccine for everyone on cruise ship

Friday 17 July 2009

All 2,100 crew and passengers on the cruise ship Equinox, currently moored in the Eemshaven in Groningen, are to be vaccinated against measles, the Telegraaf reports.

Two members of the crew were diagnosed with the highly infectious disease earlier this week.

Twenty crew members who were in close contact with the two sick people have been moved to a hotel in Delfzijl as a precautionary measure.

The Equinox, a new ship, was due to leave for Southampton, England on Friday afternoon. Most of the passengers work in the travel industry and have come from all over the world, the Telegraaf says.

? DutchNews.nl

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Netherlands: Cruise Ship to be vaccinated

Source: http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=3330

17 July, 2009
Two Celebrity Crewmembers Stricken with Measles
Celebrity Equinox Two crewmembers on Celebrity Equinox, the brand-new ship scheduled to debut 31 July in Southampton, have fallen ill with measles.

Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez tells us that 11 other crewmembers -- close contacts with those who are infected with the highly contagious respiratory disease -- are currently in quarantine. No other crewmembers have tested positive (by blood test) or show symptoms of the virus, which include a rash, high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes.

As a hedge against the spread, the line has ordered 1,000 doses of measles vaccines, which will be distributed to crewmembers who either haven't been or can't remember being vaccinated. People from many countries, including the United States and United Kingdom, receive MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccines in early childhood. The international nature of a crew means that there are those from countries that don't require the vaccinations.

Martinez told Cruise Critic that the ship's staff acted quickly in isolating the infected crewmembers. In addition, Celebrity has been in close contact with local public health officials in Southampton. Two public health officials boarded ship to monitor the situation; an additional visit has been planned, but no date has been given.

So what about the two weeks of planned festivities scheduled to lead up to the ship's splash U.K. launch on 31 July? Martinez tells us that the illnesses shouldn't affect anything.

Stay tuned.

--by Dan Askin, Associate Editor

 

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Re: Netherlands: Cruise Ship to be vaccinated

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=68494750.blog

Soon-to-debut Celebrity cruise ship fends off measles outbreak


Equinoxaerial Two crew members on the soon-to-debut Celebrity Equinox have come down with the measles, prompting a massive vaccination effort to keep the highly contagious disease from spreading across the ship.

A spokeswoman for Royal Caribbean, the parent company of Celebrity Cruises, tells USA TODAY the company has ordered 1,000 doses of measles vaccine for the ship's crew and is administering it to anyone who hasn't had or can't prove that they have had the vaccine in the past.

While most North Americans receive measles vaccines in childhood, "some of these crew members come from countries where the vaccination isn't as common," says the Royal Caribbean spokeswoman, Cynthia Martinez.


Measles is a virus-caused respiratory disease marked by a high fever, rash, cough, and red, watery eyes, and it is known for spreading rapidly among unvaccinated populations (the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta says 90% of people in close contact with someone suffering from measles will get it).

Still, Martinez says the company thinks it has succeeded in keeping the disease from spreading. Martinez says the line very quickly isolated the sick crew members and other crew members who were in contact with them, and so far no one else on board has shown symptoms. As of today, seven crew members remain in isolation, she says.

The just-completed, 2,850-passenger vessel, currently moored in Eemshaven, The Netherlands, is scheduled to sail today to Southampton, England for several weeks of inaugural events before setting sail on its maiden voyage on July 31.

Martinez says the measles outbreak "shouldn't affect any of our events."