The national measles vaccination campaign has been relaunched as part of ongoing efforts to curb the spread of measles and rubella.
The campaign was relaunched by Minister of State for Health Ahmed Gasim during World AIDS Day celebrations in Kulhudhuffushi City, Haa Dhaalu Atoll. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) highlighted the urgency of maintaining high vaccination coverage across society to minimise cases of measles, a highly contagious disease.
The HPA outlined plans to roll out the campaign in various regions of the country over the next two weeks. The campaign is targeted towards individuals aged 18-49 who have not received two doses of the measles vaccine and also extends to health workers lacking the required vaccinations. The existing national vaccination schedule includes administering the first dose to nine-month-old children and the second dose to those aged 18 months.
The MMR vaccine was introduced in the Maldives in 1983 and has historically maintained a vaccination coverage exceeding 95%. The achievement led the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare the Maldives measles-free in 2017 and rubella-free in 2020. However, in 2020, the country witnessed PCR-positive measles cases, prompting the launch of a nationwide MMR vaccination campaign. The campaign was halted due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to this year's measles outbreak, precautionary measures are now in place as the vaccination campaign resumes.