Japan has the worst measles outbreak 10 years ago

8:28 p.m.

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

TOKYO (AP)

Japanese health authorities recorded 167 cases of measles in the country in nine days, the highest number of cases in the country in 10 years.

The National Institute of Infectious Diseases reported 167 cases from February 10 to 19 in 20 of the country's 47 provinces, Asahi Shimbun reported on its website on Wednesday.

Mei Province recorded the highest number of injuries with 49 cases, followed by Osaka with 47 cases and Aichi with 17, while Tokyo ranked fourth out of 11 cases.

As authorities struggle to control outbreaks, public health experts have called for vaccination against the highly contagious air-borne virus that can spread by coughing and sneezing.

This has caused fear in many countries around the world, mainly because of the refusal of many parents to vaccinate their children against the disease because of false information on vaccination, especially in Europe and the United States, has registered more than 900 deaths of children in Madagascar since last October.