First Measles Case from Japan in 7 Years Reported; CDC Raises Travel Watch
The Taiwan CDC reported a case of measles in a man in his 30s who recently traveled to Nagoya, Japan. This marks the first imported case from Japan in seven years. Consequently, the travel advisory for Japan has been raised to Level 1 'Watch'.
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- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 16:52
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Taipei (CNA) — The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) today announced a measles case involving a man in his 30s from central Taiwan who traveled to Nagoya, Japan in mid-April. This is the first imported measles case from Japan in seven years. Approximately 274 contacts are currently being monitored until May 12, and the travel alert for Japan has been raised to Level 1 'Watch'.
CDC Director-General Lo Yi-chun noted that the last imported case from Japan was in 2019. Due to higher-than-usual measles activity in Japan and the large volume of Taiwanese tourists visiting, the alert was elevated. Local research in Japan suggests the outbreak consists of scattered, small-scale clusters rather than large-scale community transmission, so there is no need for excessive panic.
Taiwan currently has a sufficient supply of 150,000 doses of private-pay MMR vaccines. Adults born in or after 1966 are advised to consult a travel clinic 2 to 4 weeks before heading to affected areas. The patient developed fever and cough on April 16 and was confirmed with measles after a rash appeared on April 20.
Globally, measles cases continue to rise. Countries like Vietnam, India, and Mexico are under Level 2 'Alert', while 34 countries including Japan, the US, and the UK are listed under Level 1 'Watch'.
CDC Director-General Lo Yi-chun noted that the last imported case from Japan was in 2019. Due to higher-than-usual measles activity in Japan and the large volume of Taiwanese tourists visiting, the alert was elevated. Local research in Japan suggests the outbreak consists of scattered, small-scale clusters rather than large-scale community transmission, so there is no need for excessive panic.
Taiwan currently has a sufficient supply of 150,000 doses of private-pay MMR vaccines. Adults born in or after 1966 are advised to consult a travel clinic 2 to 4 weeks before heading to affected areas. The patient developed fever and cough on April 16 and was confirmed with measles after a rash appeared on April 20.
Globally, measles cases continue to rise. Countries like Vietnam, India, and Mexico are under Level 2 'Alert', while 34 countries including Japan, the US, and the UK are listed under Level 1 'Watch'.