The Republican Center for Immunoprophylaxis reports that Kyrgyzstan has already registered 6,545 cases of measles since the beginning of the year. According to the center, active circulation of the virus continues in Bishkek, Chui, and Jalal-Abad regions. The high increase in the number of cases is attributed to organized outbreaks, where susceptible individuals are infected among contacts.
The main reason for the rise in cases remains the high number of refusals of scheduled immunization against measles and rubella among children and adults. The Ministry of Health has intensified preventive and anti-epidemiological measures to combat measles. The second stage of the immunization campaign in response to the outbreak of the disease has started in Jalal-Abad region. Vaccination is available for free at health centers and temporary vaccination points in educational institutions.
In all other regions, catch-up immunization against measles and rubella within the framework of the scheduled measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination is being strengthened. Additional immunization in response to the measles outbreak in the rest of the country will begin as additional doses of the measles-rubella vaccine become available as part of the second stage of the immunization campaign.
