No new measles cases registered in Kyrgyzstan since June

AKIPRESS.COM - New measles cases were not registered in Kyrgyzstan since June, head of national immunization center Gulbara Ishenapysova said.
730 measles cases were registered in the country from January 1 to June, she said.
"The World Health Organization issued statement noting decline in coverage of planned immunization in the world due to coronavirus pandemic. Kyrgyzstan also suspended planned immunization during lockdown. Only newborns were vaccinated in maternity hospitals against viral hepatitis, TV. During that period measles were registered and emergency measles vaccination was carried out," Gulbara Ishenapysova stated.
She added polio cases were registered in Africa, Afghanistan.
"We should not rule out possibility of import of polio into Kyrgyzstan. WHO urges all countries to pay attention to vaccination of population," she added.
"We resumed planned vaccination since May 26 in Kyrgyzstan. We have enough vaccines. Mobile teams of medical workers are involved into this process now. Coverage of school students with vaccination declined due to remote learning now. We try to find the way out of the situation together with local self-government bodies," she added.
Measles is a highly contagious, serious disease caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family and it is normally passed through direct contact and through the air. The virus infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body.
Before the introduction of measles vaccine in 1963 and widespread vaccination, major epidemics occurred approximately every 2-3 years and measles caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year. More than 140 000 people died from measles in 2018 - mostly children under the age of 5 years, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine.