Number of patients with measles increases in Kyrgyzstan

Number of people infected with measles is increasing in Kyrgyzstan. It reached more than 500 people. Gulbara Ishenapysova, Director of the Republican Center for Immunoprophylaxis under the Ministry of Health, told today at a press conference.

According to her, children under 12 months most often get the infection — 48 percent of all registered cases. The children aged from one to five years are also at risk.

More than 300 cases of measles were registered in Bishkek, more than 100 — in Chui region. In October, a seven-month-old child died, but there were concomitant diseases. Measles is a dangerous because of its sequelae.

Gulbara Ishenapysova

The head of the center stressed that Kyrgyzstan had developed an operational plan for the containment and elimination of measles. «According to the World Health Organization, more than 47,000 cases of measles have been registered in European countries. There are a lot of them in Russia, France, Georgia, Ukraine, Italy,» she noted.

The only cause of measles outbreak is the rejection of vaccination. An anti-vaccination campaign has begun in 2012.

Gulbara Ishenapysova

Gulbara Ishenapysova reported that migrants had brought measles to Kyrgyzstan in 2017. «In July, the center submitted an application for the purchase of measles and rubella vaccine for contact persons, previously unvaccinated children, and doctors. The republic received 30,000 vaccines. The Ministry of Health has prepared a letter to Rospotrebnadzor with a request to supply 100,000 doses,» she noted.

Vaccination will be done in health care centers.