Florence, unvaccinated child, risked life for measles

A 19-month-old girl who had not received the measles vaccination was admitted to the intensive care unit at Meyer Children’s Hospital in Florence, following an overseas stay during which she contracted the disease. The initial symptoms manifested a few days after her return to Italy, and her condition deteriorated due to a severe form of pneumonia that compromised her respiratory capacity. There was a gradual improvement in the patient’s condition, and she was subsequently discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU) and transferred to a standard paediatric ward. Experts advocate for the implementation of prophylactic vaccination in paediatric populations, particularly before international travel to regions where these diseases are highly prevalent, given the absence of herd immunity. Pneumonia resulting from Morbillivirus lung infection manifests in approximately 5% of patients and can be particularly severe, especially in the youngest demographics. In fatal cases of measles in infants, pneumonia is frequently the underlying cause of death.