Colombian health authorities confirmed that four people with a history of international travel are under observation for possible Colombia measles cases, a disease that in recent decades had been almost forgotten in the country due to high immunization levels and effective vaccination programs.
One of those cases has already been ruled out after laboratory testing, but the other three remain under analysis while epidemiological experts carefully review every clinical and epidemiological detail to rule out or confirm infection with the measles virus.
This announcement comes in a context in which the virus has resurfaced in several regions of the world, especially in countries in North America and other parts of the continent, where measles circulation has steadily increased in recent years, something Colombian authorities view with concern, given the proximity of major international events that will mobilize millions of travelers.
According to the World Health Organization, 247,623 cases were confirmed in 179 countries in 2025. In the Region of the Americas, 14,891 cases were reported, representing a 32-fold increase compared to 2024.
Colombia probes four suspected measles cases linked to international flights
The Ministry of Health, together with the National Institute of Health (INS), has stepped up epidemiological surveillance and issued a joint circular with guidelines aimed at strengthening early detection, intensifying mandatory vaccination, and expanding controls at airports, seaports, and border crossings, especially for those who present symptoms consistent with measles after having recently traveled abroad.
The measures are not limited to Colombia; the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warned that measles cases in the Americas multiplied in 2025 and the first months of 2026, with figures dozens of times higher than those recorded in previous years, in a phenomenon that has occurred simultaneously in regions of Europe, Asia, and Africa amid declining vaccination coverage and increased global mobility.
The four cases currently under study in Colombia share a recent history of international mobility, a criterion that, according to experts, is key to suspecting an imported infection in a country where local transmission has been minimal or nonexistent in recent years.
The first of these was ruled out after laboratory analysis, demonstrating the rigor of the confirmation process followed by health authorities. In the other three, samples are undergoing additional testing that takes several days to confirm whether they are true measles cases or other clinical conditions with similar symptoms.
If any turn out to be positive, contact tracing protocols will be immediately activated to prevent the virus from spreading in the community.
Authorities have emphasized that this detailed monitoring “highlights both the strength of the epidemiological surveillance system and the challenge of maintaining high vaccination coverage across the entire population, especially in rural areas or sectors with more limited access to health services.”
The current scenario serves as a reminder that no infectious disease can be considered definitively eradicated as long as circulation exists anywhere else in the world and there is constant human mobility between countries.
#Comunicado | #Minsalud emitió una circular nacional con lineamientos nacionales para fortalecer la vacunación, intensificar la vigilancia epidemiológica y prevenir al incremento de casos de sarampión en la región. pic.twitter.com/uOwqsEQChp
— MinSalud Colombia 🇨🇴 (@MinSaludCol) February 27, 2026
Measles, an old acquaintance that has returned
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease caused by the rubella virus, which spreads easily when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, releasing viral particles that can remain in the air or on surfaces for several hours.
Although it is preventable through an effective vaccine, measles can cause severe symptoms and complications, such as pneumonia, encephalitis, or even death, especially in young children, malnourished individuals, or those with weakened immune systems.
Before the introduction of the vaccine in the 1960s, measles was a common childhood infection worldwide, with millions of cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths each year.
For much of the past few decades, immunization campaigns in Colombia and in many countries succeeded in drastically reducing cases and achieving elimination status, meaning there was no sustained endemic transmission within the country.
However, that scenario gradually changed when vaccination rates began to fluctuate, partly due to misinformation about vaccines and disruptions to health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Far from disappearing completely, the virus has continued to circulate in other regions, generating outbreaks often associated with unvaccinated international travelers returning to their home countries or visiting other destinations.
One of the factors that facilitates the reintroduction of measles in countries where it had been under control is precisely large-scale human mobility, such as that expected at global events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a phenomenon that health authorities have identified as a real risk for Colombia and for other countries that both receive and send travelers.
In that context, anyone with high fever, cough, red eyes, and a characteristic rash after traveling abroad warrants medical evaluation and specific testing to rule out measles, according to established epidemiological surveillance protocols.
Vaccination and prevention: keys to avoiding outbreaks
The best defense against measles continues to be widespread and sustained vaccination. The MMR vaccine, which combines protection against measles, rubella, and mumps, is more than 95% effective when the two recommended doses are administered.
Colombian authorities have reminded the public that the vaccine is available free of charge at thousands of vaccination sites across the country, and that reviewing one’s immunization schedule should be a priority, both for residents and for travelers planning to go to areas with active virus transmission.
“Vaccination remains the most effective measure to prevent measles. The country maintains free availability of the MMR vaccine (measles, rubella, and mumps) and the bivalent MR vaccine at more than 3,000 vaccination sites, as well as through outreach teams and Basic Health Teams deployed at airports, ports, border crossings, and community campaigns,” the Health Ministry explained.
In addition to vaccination, measures such as promptly identifying and isolating suspected cases, quickly notifying health services, and tracing close contacts are essential to contain potential outbreaks before they spread.
In a world where information travels as fast as people, health education and trust in science are indispensable tools to keep at bay diseases that, like measles, once seemed to have disappeared forever.