Curaçao officers board a Scientology ship arriving in quarantine in a measles case

May 4, 2019, 18:14 UTC

By Associated press

WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO – Curaçao authorities boarded a quarantined ship on Saturday to begin vaccinating the population to prevent a measles outbreak.

Health officials said that only people already vaccinated or already contracted measles would be free to leave the ship Freewinds, a ship over 100 meters (440 feet), belonging to the Church of Scientology.

Dr. Izzy Gerstenbluth, an epidemiologist in Curacao, told the Associated Press that a small team was evaluating more than 300 people aboard the ship and that the process could last more than one day.

"We will get on board and do our job," he said, adding that the authorities have an international obligation to prevent the spread of the disease. "If we allow this to happen, measles spreads to places where the risk of serious complications is much greater, especially when it comes to poor countries where resistance is less."

Authorities fear that people on board the ship have been exposed as a result of the measles diagnosis to a female crew member after her return from Europe. Gerstenbluth said he arrived on the Caribbean island of Curaçao on April 17 and visited a doctor on April 22 for cold symptoms. A blood sample was taken and sent to Aruba, where authorities confirmed that it was a measles outbreak on April 29, a day after the ship's departure for St. Lucia. Curaçao's health officials then alerted the authorities in St. Lucia.

The Freewinds was quarantined in St. Lucia earlier this week before returning to its home port of Curacao on Saturday morning.

Gerstenbluth said that it would be easy to spread the disease since it is a small vessel.

"It's what happens when we do not vaccinate," he said.

Symptoms include runny nose, fever and a rash with red spots. Most people get better, but measles can cause pneumonia, swelling of the brain and even death in some cases.

Measles has sickened more than 700 people in 22 US states this year, federal officials say the resurgence of the disease is caused by misinformation about vaccines.

Church officials did not respond to calls for comment. According to the church's website, the ship is the place of residence of a "religious retreat dispensing the most advanced level of spiritual counseling". He says that religious congresses and seminars are also held on board.