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Singapore Airlines would begin placing airline pilot, cabin crew and maintenance personnel on a fully vaccinated list, with the aim of reducing the probability of infections among those responsible for flying some of the world’s most invasive “measles teams.”
Despite steps taken last year, 2016 still recorded the highest reported cases of measles in Singapore. Indonesia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Nigeria, Venezuela and Vietnam also reported more than 100 cases of measles in the same year. In 2016, even though the World Health Organization reported that measles vaccination rates had increased from around 90 percent to almost 97 percent in 2016, there were still 62 reported cases in Indonesia, 20 in the Philippines, 13 in Japan, and six in Japan.
Singapore Airlines’ director of global communications Kenneth Chin said, “Singapore Airlines has developed the step-by-step vaccination regime for its more than 32,000 staff, ranging from pilots and cabin crew to engineers and health services personnel. As an international carrier with our cadre of highly skilled, infectious disease experts, our overall target is to immunize 100% of its 20,000-plus crew base in the next 3 years.”
Human immunodeficiency virus is one of the most contagious viral diseases, and can be spread by airborne particles for up to eight hours. It can enter the body through the nose, mouth or other mucous membranes. People in contact with a person who has measles can be infected for at least three days before showing symptoms.
Read the full story at the Financial Times.
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