A special measles vaccination program targeting people aged 20 to 30 began on Saturday across 12 districts to boost immunity against the highly contagious disease. This four-week program focuses on those who only received one dose of the vaccine during childhood.
The program was launched at Thalangama Divisional Hospital with Health Ministry Secretary D. Palitha Mahipala and UNICEF Sri Lanka Country Representative Christian Skoog in attendance.
The campaign covers Jaffna, Puttalam, Gampaha, Colombo, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Ampara, Kalmunai, Batticaloa, Kandy, and Colombo City. Eligible individuals are encouraged to contact their nearest Medical Officer of Health (MoH) office, Public Health Inspector (PHI), or public health midwife for vaccination information.
The measles vaccine was introduced to Sri Lanka’s immunization program in 1984, with a second dose added in 2001. Although the country was declared measles-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2019, recent declines in global vaccination rates have led to a resurgence of measles cases, prompting this preventive measure.
Supported by UNICEF and the WHO, the Ministry of Health aims to prevent outbreaks.
