At least 6,545 cases of measles have already been registered in the Kyrgyz Republic since the beginning of the year. The Republican Center for Immunoprophylaxis reported.
According to it, active circulation of the virus is still observed in Bishkek, Chui, and Jalal-Abad regions. The high increase in the incidence is associated with organized outbreaks where susceptible individuals are infected among their contact persons.
The main reason for the increase in the incidence is the large number of refusals from routine immunization against measles and rubella among children and adults.
The Ministry of Health has strengthened 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 Kyrgyzstan, which will take place in Jalal-Abad region. Citizens can get vaccinated free of charge at the Family Medicine Groups /Family Doctors Groups/ Medical and Obstetric Centres and at temporary vaccination points in educational institutions.
In all other regions catch-up immunization against measles and rubella has been strengthened as part of routine vaccination with the rubella, mumps, and measles vaccine. As part of the second phase of the immunization campaign in response to the measles outbreak, additional immunization will begin in the rest of the country as soon as additional doses of rubella-measles vaccine become available.
