Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health has launched a special measles vaccination programme starting Monday and running until Nov. 9, targeting selected districts in response to recent cases of the disease.
Hasitha Tissera, a senior epidemiologist at the Ministry of Health, announced that the programme will be conducted in 12 districts across the country.
Although Sri Lanka successfully eliminated measles, cases were reported in certain areas last year, according to Tissera.
This programme specifically targets young people who, for various reasons, did not receive the full dose of the measles vaccine, he said.
The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine was introduced into Sri Lanka’s immunisation programme in 1984.
A second dose was added in 2001 to strengthen immunity levels, and in 2019, the World Health Organisation declared Sri Lanka measles-free.
However, a global drop in immunisation coverage between 2020 and 2022 impacted many countries in the region, contributing to a resurgence of measles cases, including in Sri Lanka, UNICEF reported earlier this year. (Xinhua/NAN)
