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- A cruise ship was quarantined Monday off the island of St. Lucia after a staff member fell ill with measles.
- The ship belongs and is operated by the Church of Scientology
- The ship left the port of Saint Lucia on Thursday.
A cruise ship owned and operated by the Church of Scientology was quarantined Monday off the island of St. Lucia, in the Caribbean, after a staff member either got sick from a confirmed case of measles.
The Government of Saint Lucia ordered quarantine and forbade anyone from disembarking the ship after confirming that an unidentified female staff member had contracted the disease.
"Measles is a very contagious disease. Anyone who is not sufficiently immunized against measles can contract the disease if there has been close contact with a confirmed case, "said Dr. Merlene Fredericks-James, Chief Medical Officer of the Island Nation, in a statement video." It is therefore likely that other people on the boat may have been exposed. "
Fredericks-James stated that the sick staff member was isolated on the ship and was in stable condition.
Local authorities refused to name the ship, but Sgt. Victor Theodore told NBC News that the ship involved is the "Freewinds", a 440-foot cruise ship owned and operated by the Church of Scientology.
The ship was not prevented from leaving Saint Lucia while quarantine was in place and left the port on Thursday, CNN reports.
Measles has made a disturbing return in recent months, with more than 700 cases reported, the highest number of cases reported since 1994, according to centers for disease control and protection. The peak is partly attributed to people who chose not to vaccinate their children.
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Nancy Messonnier of the CDC told weather.com that unvaccinated people are particularly vulnerable when traveling abroad.
"Measles is imported when an unvaccinated traveler travels to a country where measles transmission is widespread, is infected and returns to the US This traveler then exposes those in his community who are not vaccinated ", said Mr. Messonnier.
She noted that so far this year, 44 cases had been imported directly from other countries. Of the 44 imported measles cases internationally, more than 90% involved unvaccinated persons.
Messonnier noted that it is not only important that children be vaccinated, but that adults should also check their immune status. People born before 1957 may have had bites at some point in their lives, but they should be tested for immunity. People born between 1957 and 1989 may also want to be tested or recalled because they may have been under-vaccinated.
While the general public tends to believe that the Church of Scientology is opposed to medical intervention, its website says that it allows prescription drugs and treatment by a doctor. for diseases and injuries. However, the church has not clearly stated its position on vaccinations.
Freewinds is used as a basis for delivering the highest level church counseling course called Operating Thetan Level VIII. The ship is presented as the home of a "religious retreat providing the most advanced level of spiritual counseling in the religion of Scientology", which constitutes "the summit of a deep spiritual journey".
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