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Measles incidence on rise in Kyrgyzstan

More than 900 measles cases have been registered in Kyrgyzstan since the beginning of the year. Director of the Republican Center for Immunoprophylaxis under the Ministry of Health, Gulbara Ishenapysova, told 24.kg news agency.

According to her, most of the patients were registered in Bishkek, Jalal-Abad and Osh regions.

«Almost a half of the cases are children under 12 months old, not vaccinated in proper time. About 19 percent of them are vaccination refusers at the age of 1-4 years old,» said Gulbara Ishenapysova.

She added that a campaign — immunization of contact persons aged from 6 months to 50 years old — is being carried out in the republic.

«We cannot move the planned vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella to an earlier period. It is done twice: at the age of 12 months and six years. Therefore, the campaign is being conducted,» the center’s head noted.

According to her, it is premature to talk about epidemics.

«There are some registered cases at schools, kindergartens. There is complicated situation with measles. The epidemic was in 2015-2016, when there were more than 17,000 cases, schools and kindergartens were closed for quarantine,» Gulbara Ishenapysova stressed.

She reported that the Ministry of Health bought more than 30,000 doses of rubella-measles vaccine for the campaign last year.

«We also appealed to Rospotrebnadzor with a request to transfer up to 100,000 doses free of charge,» Gulbara Ishenapysova said.

The head of the center noted that in case of a shortage of vaccines for immunization of contact persons, vaccines purchased for planned vaccination would be used. According to her, they are purchased with a 15 percent reserve.

At least 1,005 cases of the disease were registered in 2018. At least 48 percent are not vaccinated children at the age up to one year. Doctors argue that the only way to protect themselves from the disease is to get vaccination on time.

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