20140006XXX Measles FSM

Departmentof ForeignAffairs
FederatedStatesof Micronesia

DFA/LSR-T57-I4
.

May 30,2014

The Departmentof ForeignAffairs of the FederatedStatesof Micronesiapresentsits
complimentsto the Embassyof the United Statesof America in the FSM and hasthe honor
to forward the enclosedletter from Dr. Vita Skilling, Secretaryof the Departmentof
Health and Social Affairs, to Dr. Tom Frieden, Director of the Center for DiseaseControl
and Prevention.

The Department has the further honor to requestthe Embassy'sassistancein
ensuringthat the letter reachesits destination.

The Departrnentof ForeignAffairs of the FederatedStatesof Micronesiaavails itself
of dris opportunityto renewto the Embassyof the United Statesof America in the FSM the
assurances
of its highestconsideration.

Palikir, Pohnpei
Enclosure

u#nlt*t*u*
't"a.;.a,

%;:*j

DppRRrnTnNToF HreLrH aNn SocInL AFFAIRS
FSM National Government
Capitol StreetoP.O. Box PS 70
Palikir, Pohnpei 96941
Fetlerated Statesof Micronesia
Tel: (692)320-26191287212643.
E-rnail:health@fsmhealth.fql.
Fax:(691) 320-5263

May 29,2O14

TomFrieden,
MD,MPH
Director,
Centers
for Disease
ControlandPrevention
1600CliftonRd,NE
Atlanta,GA30329
DearDr.Frieden:
Greetingsfrom the FederqtedStotesof Micronesio!
Duringthe secondweekof May20t4,the Federated
(FSM)
Statesof Micronesia
Department
of HealthandSocialAffairshasidentified10 laboratory-confirmed
measles
casesin
Kosrae
State,oneof the four statesin the FSM.Thisisthe firstdocumented
measles
outbreakin
Kosrae
in overa decade.
Preliminary
KosraeDepartment
of HealthServices
andFSMDepartment
of Healthand
SocialAffairsinvestigation
hasidentifiednumerous
additional
suspect
casesthroughoutthe
island.Initialcontrolmeasures
haveincludedisolation
of hospitalized
cases,
initiationof a mass
catch-up
vaccination
public
campaign,
and
preventing
messaging
regarding
measles
transmission.
TheFSMDepartment
of HealthandSocialAffairs
is requesting
CDCepidemiologic
and
laboratory
assistance
in the investigation
andresponse
to thismeasles
outbreak.Objectives
of
the investigation
includeto identifyriskfactorsfor measles
transmission
andto inform
additional
controlandprevention
measures
to reducemeasles
transmission
andmitigate
morbidity.We alsorequestif assistance
in the areaof clinicalguidelines
andtreatment
protocols
canalsobe provided.Thedatacollected
will guidetargetingof additional
control
measures
by the response
teamthat includes
FSMDepartment
of HealthandSocialAffairs.
I thankyou in advance
for yoursupportandfavorable
consideration
of thisrequest.
Sincerely,

DIVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES

DIVTSIONOF SOCIAL AFFAIRS