In response to growing concerns over a surge in measles cases, health authorities in Sri Lanka have announced a supplementary vaccination initiative targeting infants aged between 6 and 9 months.
The decision, made by the Epidemiology Unit, aims to bolster immunity against measles through a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) Supplementary Immunization Activity (SIA).
Scheduled for January 6, the vaccination drive will be conducted at all immunization clinic centers in nine high-risk health districts from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The districts include Colombo (including the CMC area), Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Kandy, Jaffna, Kurunegala, and Kalmunai.
Children born between April 07, 2023, and July 05, 2023, are eligible for the additional vaccination dose. The Epidemiology Unit emphasized that the MMR vaccination should be considered supplementary, and routine MMR vaccinations must be administered to all children who received the SIA-MMR vaccination upon reaching 9 months and 3 years of age.
The initiative comes on the heels of Sri Lanka reporting over 700 cases of measles in 2023, despite the country being declared the fourth in the Southeast Asian region to eliminate the viral respiratory illness by the World Health Organization in 2019.
Health officials have underscored the importance of parents ensuring their children receive the necessary immunization, urging participation in the upcoming vaccination drive to enhance community immunity against measles.
