COLOMBO, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka is expected to give an extra dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to infants aged 6-8 months in nine of the country's 25 districts following the resurfacing of measles, a government official said here on Thursday.

Secretary to the Ministry of Health Palitha Mahipala told a press conference that moreover, children aged nine months to 15 years who have not received the MMR vaccine, can get vaccinated from Jan. 6 next year.

There have been over 700 cases of measles reported nationwide since May this year, mostly in the Colombo district, he said.

Cases have also been reported from the Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Kandy, Jaffna, Kurunegala, and Ampara districts.

The health ministry will establish 1,600 clinics across the South Asian country for people to access the vaccine, according to Mahipala.

In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that Sri Lanka had successfully eradicated the contagious disease thanks to a successful vaccination campaign.

Mahipala said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, immunization coverage has dropped and this has allowed the resurgence of measles cases in the country. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)