Measles immunity required for migrant domestic workers in households with young children from Sept 1
The surge in measles cases globally and regionally continues to pose public health risks. PHOTO: AFP
Measles immunity required for migrant domestic workers in households with young children from Sept 1
SINGAPORE - From September, employers of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) must ensure that their MDW is immune to measles if there is a child under the age of seven in the household who is not fully vaccinated against the disease.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a release on June 10 that this measure will enhance public health resilience and protect unvaccinated young children who are at higher risk of serious health complications from measles infections.
At the point of a work permit issuance for new MDWs or renewals for existing MDWs from Sept 1, employers with children below seven years old in the household will be required to declare if the MDW is already vaccinated or immune to measles.
They may also need to declare if the child in the household is fully vaccinated, or if a vaccination appointment has been scheduled for the MDW if she is not yet vaccinated, MOM added.
An MDW does not need to be vaccinated if she is already immune to measles, or if all children under seven in the household are fully vaccinated.
Measles immunity can be acquired through past infection or vaccination. The employer may provide MOM proof of this, such as a completion of vaccination, serology test result or laboratory confirmation of past infection.
To be fully vaccinated, two doses of the measles vaccine, available at GP clinics, are required. The cost of two doses is around $80 to $140.
Any costs incurred in meeting the measles immunity requirement are to be borne by the employer, said MOM.
It encourages employers with existing MDWs to review their workers' immunity status ahead of work permit renewals.
The ministry said it will conduct sample checks and may request documentary proof of the MDW's immunity.
Employers with children under seven years old who are found to have MDWs without measles immunity may have their work pass privileges suspended until valid proof of vaccination is provided.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that is transmitted through the air.
Despite high vaccination coverage and population immunity in Singapore, sporadic cases and small clusters of measles are still expected among individuals who are not immune due to the highly transmissible nature of the disease.
Given Singapore's position as a major travel hub, the surge in measles cases globally and regionally continues to pose public health risks, particularly for those without immunity, MOM said.
The new requirement seeks to minimise the risk of measles transmission to vulnerable children who are not fully protected against the disease.
Employers are also strongly encouraged to vaccinate or ascertain immunity of their MDWs if there are household members who have weakened immune systems.
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Independent Singapore
15 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
MOM: Maids are required to have measles immunity in households with young kids who aren't fully vaccinated, as cases rise worldwide
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced on Tuesday (Jun 10) that the employers of migrant domestic workers in households with children below the age of seven who've not been fully vaccinated against measles must ensure that their helpers have immunity against the disease. 'This measure will enhance our public health resilience and protect unvaccinated young children who are at higher risk of serious health complications from measles infections,' MOM said. Immunization is available as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The MMR vaccine is administered in two doses, with an interval of at least four weeks between doses. This vaccine is available for helpers at private general practitioner (GP) clinics, whom employers may call for appointments. Employers should shoulder the costs of meeting the immunity requirements for helpers. Measles, once a common childhood disease, has a safe and effective vaccine, and the number of infections and deaths has been dramatically reduced since mass vaccination programmes were introduced beginning from the 1960s. At some points, the disease was even declared eliminated in certain parts of the world. However, measles has seen a resurgence in cases in the past few years, in part due to disruptions to vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a rising sentiment against vaccinations in general. Recently, measles has been in the news in relation to travel, as many parts of the world are entering their summer breaks. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued travel guidance earlier this month, advising its citizens to be vaccinated against measles regardless of their travel destination. In Europe, measles infections are at a 25-year high , according to a report by the BBC on Jun 6. Travelers are similarly being warned to keep their vaccinations up to date. MOM underlined that measles is highly contagious, and despite Singapore having high vaccination coverage and population immunity, 'sporadic cases and small clusters of measles are still expected among individuals who are not immune due to the highly transmissible nature of the disease.' The ministry also stated that, as Singapore is a major travel hub, the increase in measles cases in Asia and worldwide remains a health risk to those without immunity to the disease. Therefore, the requirement for helpers to be immunized aims to reduce the risk of transmission to young children who are not fully vaccinated. From Sept 1, employers with children below the age of seven need to declare the following information for helpers' work permits to be issued or renewed. The helper is already vaccinated or immune to measles, or All children below seven years old in the household have been fully vaccinated; or The helper has not been vaccinated, but a vaccination appointment has been booked for her. Helpers do not need to be vaccinated if they are already immune to measles or if the children in the household under the age of seven are fully vaccinated against the disease. Since immunity to measles may be acquired through past infection or vaccination, employers may provide documentary proof to MOM, including proof of vaccination completion, serology test results, or laboratory confirmation of past infection. Employers who have helpers in their households are also encouraged to review the immunity status of their MDW ahead of the permit renewal. /TISG Read related: MOH: 17 measles cases found in workers' dormitory and home for people with special needs
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Measles immunity required for maids in households with young children from Sept 1
From September, employers of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) must ensure that their MDW is immune to measles if there is a child under the age of seven in the household who is not fully vaccinated against the disease. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a release on June 10 that this measure will enhance public health resilience and protect unvaccinated young children who are at higher risk of serious health complications from measles infections. At the point of a work permit issuance for new MDWs or renewals for existing MDWs from Sept 1, employers with children below seven years old in the household will be required to declare if the MDW is already vaccinated or immune to measles. They may also need to declare if the child in the household is fully vaccinated, or if a vaccination appointment has been scheduled for the MDW if she is not yet vaccinated, MOM added. An MDW does not need to be vaccinated if she is already immune to measles, or if all children under seven in the household are fully vaccinated. Measles immunity can be acquired through past infection or vaccination. The employer may provide MOM proof of this, such as a completion of vaccination, serology test result or laboratory confirmation of past infection. To be fully vaccinated, two doses of the measles vaccine, available at GP clinics, are required. The cost of two doses is around $80 to $140. Any costs incurred in meeting the measles immunity requirement are to be borne by the employer, said MOM. It encourages employers with existing MDWs to review their workers' immunity status ahead of work permit renewals. The ministry said it will conduct sample checks and may request documentary proof of the MDW's immunity. Employers with children under seven years old who are found to have MDWs without measles immunity may have their work pass privileges suspended until valid proof of vaccination is provided. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that is transmitted through the air. Despite high vaccination coverage and population immunity in Singapore, sporadic cases and small clusters of measles are still expected among individuals who are not immune due to the highly transmissible nature of the disease. Given Singapore's position as a major travel hub, the surge in measles cases globally and regionally continues to pose public health risks, particularly for those without immunity, MOM said. The new requirement seeks to minimise the risk of measles transmission to vulnerable children who are not fully protected against the disease. Employers are also strongly encouraged to vaccinate or ascertain immunity of their MDWs if there are household members who have weakened immune systems.
AsiaOne
17 hours ago
- AsiaOne
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Migrant domestic workers (MDWs) will have to be vaccinated against measles if they are working in households with children under seven. In a statement on Tuesday (June 10), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said that employers of MDWs will be required to declare their MDW's immunity status when applying for work permits starting Sept 1. "The measles immunity requirement for MDWs aims to reduce the risk of transmission to young children who are not fully vaccinated against measles," the ministry said, adding that the new measure will enhance public health resilience and protect youths who are at higher risk of serious health complications. To document immunity, employers with children aged seven and below can declare if their MDW is vaccinated or immune to measles. Documentary proof can be provided in the form of serology test results, laboratory confirmation of past infection and proof of completion of vaccination. Alternatively, employers can declare if all children below seven years old in their household have been fully vaccinated, or if they have scheduled a vaccination appointment for their MDW. Existing MDWs will also be subject to the same requirements when renewing their work permits. "An MDW does not need to be vaccinated if she is immune to measles or all children below seven years old in the household are fully vaccinated against measles," MOM said. To enforce the immunity requirement, the ministry will conduct sample checks and may request for documentary proof of immunity. It may suspend work pass privileges of MDWs if they are found to be working with children below seven years old without vaccination against measles. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease among individuals who are not immune to it. Singapore is also particularly at risk despite high vaccination coverage and population immunity due to its role as a major travel hub. Individuals need two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, with at least four weeks between doses, to be considered fully vaccinated. The MMR vaccine is available at private general practitioner clinics and all costs relating to measles vaccination should be borne by MDW employers, the ministry said. The cost is about $80 to $140. [[nid:716586]]
