The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has begun a vaccination campaign for rubella and measles.
During the campaign, the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccines will be administered at Dhamana Veshi healthcare centre, ADK Hospital, Hulhumale' Hospital, and the GP Clinic in Hulhumale' Phase II. The vaccines will also be administered at hospitals and health centres in the atolls. The vaccine will be given to Maldivians and expatriates between the ages of 18 to 49 years who have not received two doses of measles vaccine.
Two individuals tested positive for measles this year. The individual in Addu City reportedly made contact with 65 others after infection. However, none of them showed any symptoms of the disease. The Ministry of Health decided to launch a national measles vaccination campaign to prevent the spread of the disease.
The symptoms of measles include red rashes, high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes. Individuals experiencing symptoms are advised to seek the advice of a health worker immediately. Two complete doses of the measles vaccine reduce the risk of infection by 97%.
The MR vaccine was introduced in the Maldives in 1983 and the country 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 MR vaccination campaign. The campaign was halted due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to this year's measles cases, precautionary measures are now in place as the vaccination campaign resumes.