Measles is an extremely contagious diseas, and one that is currently seeing a resurgence across the world, for example in Europe, Israel, and now, Thailand.

More than 1,500 cases have been reported in Thailand. 14 people have died from the disease.

According to the Associated Press, half of the measles cases reported in Thailand throughout the year come from Muslim-majority southern provinces.

Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat are the areas most affected by the disease. With the exception of these three provinces, the rest of Thailand has measles vaccination coverage of about 95 per cent.

According to the World Health Organisation, about 95 per cent of a population needs to be vaccinated in order for the community to be considered immune.

Symptoms of measles include:

• Fever
• Dry cough
• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis)
• A skin rash made up of large, flat blotches that often flow into one another

The cases in Thailand have been attributed to misinformation about the measles vaccine, namely that the gelatin used in it is derived from pork.

This is not true. A Thai health official has debunked that rumour, saying that the measles vaccine products that Thailand imports do not contain gelatin derived from pigs.

Additionally, the Central Islamic Council of Thailand has clarified, via a video message, that even if a vaccine contains prohibited ingredients, personal and community safety takes precedence.

What MUIS says about vaccines containing pork:

In Singapore, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has this to say about vaccines containing pork:

The Fatwa Committee views that, in principle, treatments with substances containing impurities (najis), namely pork, is allowed in an emergency (ḍarūra) if there are no other drugs that can replace it.

This fatwa, in particular, refers to vaccinations that contain prohibited ingredients, which are deemed permissible only with the condition that there are no other available alternatives that fulfils the same function. This fatwa also applies in cases where halal-certified vaccines run out, and re-stocking would take time. In particular, this fatwa continues to provide guidance for haj and umrah pilgrims, or individual Muslims who need to travel to countries that require vaccination. This is so that they can use whatever available vaccine, without having to wait for halal vaccines to become available in Singapore.

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