Sri Lanka launches measles vaccination programme targeting youth

Colombo, Nov 4 (IANS) Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health has launched a special measles vaccination programme from Monday and running until November 9, targetting 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, Xinhua news agency reported.

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 Organization 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.

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