S'pore imposes mandatory isolation of measles cases, contact tracing after infections rise

Eleven measles cases were detected in Singapore in January 2026, the same number as for the whole of 2024.

- Yap Wei Qiang Correspondent

The cases include three infants too young to be vaccinated. In addition, the virus could be spreading locally.So, Singapore is enhancing precautionary measures with immediate effect to prevent spread within the community.

The moves include mandatory isolation of people with confirmed measles infection until they are no longer infectious. Contact tracing will also be conducted for all infected cases, and close contacts have to either be vaccinated or quarantined for up to 21 days, said the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA).

"The good thing is that actually in Singapore, we have very high herd immunity among the population... which forms a very important personal defence against measles infection," said Senior Minister of State for Health Koh Poh Koon, speaking to the media on Feb 6.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a social media post on Feb 6 that currently, 99 per cent of adults here have immunity against measles, so the virus will find it hard to spread. "But if our immunity coverage falls below 95 per cent, we may start losing our herd immunity. So, do ensure children complete their MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccinations," he said.

Measles, caused by the measles virus, is one of the most highly infectious diseases. The virus is spread through air droplets and direct contact with nasal and throat secretions.

Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat and rashes.

There is no specific treatment for measles, and most people recover within two to three weeks.

Dr Koh said that nevertheless, there are some who are immunocompromised and cannot mount an immune response if infected, and some who are too young to be vaccinated. Thus, the CDA is stepping up its public health measures to protect these vulnerable groups.