ATLANTA — With the peak summer travel season under way, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reminding travellers to Europe and other global destinations to take steps to protect themselves against measles amid outbreaks of the disease.

More than 14,000 cases of measles have been reported in Europe since January 2016, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. In the past year, 35 people across Europe have died from the disease, according to the World Health Organization.

Measles cases have been reported in 15 European countries in 2017: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, reports the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

CDC has issued travel health notices for five European countries with measles outbreaks since November 2016; the most recent was France on July 7. The others are Belgium, Germany, Italy and Romania.

The CDC recommends that anyone who isn’t protected against measles, either through vaccination or past infection, should get vaccinated, including before international travel. This simple step protects both travelers and people back home. Travellers should see their health care professional at least 4-6 weeks before any international travel. You may need this much time to complete a vaccine series, and your body needs time to build up immunity.