Health Ministry requests aid agencies for measles vaccine
Summary
The Health Ministry of Nepal is seeking vaccine aid to combat a measles outbreak in Malangawa Municipality, Sarlahi district, with plans to vaccinate children aged 6 months to 14 years to prevent further spread.
Key Points
- The Ministry of Health and Population has requested vaccine doses from international aid agencies due to a measles outbreak in Malangawa Municipality, Sarlahi district.
- At least seven children tested positive with measles, and 16 others were hospitalized during the first week of January in the affected area.
- The government currently has no vaccine doses in stock for a mass vaccination campaign and has alerted development partners about this shortage.
- The outbreak threatens Nepal's goal of measles elimination by 2026, with historical challenges noted from previous outbreaks in 2022 and 2023.
