Ministry of Health has commenced a special vaccination campaign targeted for the regions from which measles has been found.
Confirming three individuals have been tested positive for measles, Minister of Health Abdulla Ameen said there is a chance of an outbreak of the disease that had been eradicated from Maldives in 2017. The minister said efforts are underway to control the disease and to identify the causes behind the return of the disease. He said samples of the first victim will be sent abroad to check if the disease was passed through genetics or from a foreign source.
Minister Ameen said immediate measures are being taken to begin vaccination campaigns in the regions the disease have been found in. He said the ministry has sufficient doses of MMR vaccine to be distributed to unvaccinated individuals in the country, adding extra doses are also being purchased.
The minister urged the public to complete the required vaccination dosage in order to stay safe from the disease. He also requested parents to ensure their children have completed vaccination.