Measles vaccination - early administration

Latest update: 14 November 2022 - Authors: Mieke Croughs, Ula Maniewski-Kelner

Infants who have not yet been vaccinated against measles can be vaccinated early and free of charge in Flanders between the age of 6 and 12 months when they travel to a country with a high risk of measles. This early vaccine does not count as a full vaccination but offers short-term protection. After this dose, they should receive two more vaccinations, according to the normal schedule.

For older children, it is recommended to advance the second dose when travelling to a high-risk country. This is not free of charge. However, an early second vaccination counts as a second vaccination if it is administered at least one month after the first vaccination.

Countries for which these recommendations apply

Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Congo (Brazzaville), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Conacry, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Asia: Afghanistan, India, Pakistan
Middle East: Bahrain, Yemen, Kuwait, Lebanon

This list is regularly updated on the basis of WHO and ECDC reports.