Almost 700 thousands children set to receive measles rubella mumps vaccine in Sistan and Balouchestan Province, southeast of Iran

In 2019, when the Eastern Mediterranean region was experiencing its greatest upsurge in measles cases, Iran received a certificate for measles elimination in October 2019

Report from: Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Vice Chancellery for Health
Published on: 03 November 2021

In 2019, when the Eastern Mediterranean region was experiencing its greatest upsurge in measles cases, Iran received a certificate for measles elimination in October 2019.

The challenge for Iran is to maintain the interruption of measles transmission by sustaining high population immunity. Since the start of COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019, several countries across the world have lost their measles elimination status. Iran"s Ministry of Health has aimed to maintain the measles and rubella immunization coverage at more than 95%, which has been successfully sustained since 2003.

Every year, a few cases of people with measles are reported in rural and urban areas as localized outbreaks, with an average number of 10-20 measles cases in each outbreak. This year, country has witnessed and increase in the number of measles cases, mostly in southeast of Iran. In response to the scattered outbreaks, an urgent measles, rubella and mumps (MMR) vaccination campaign was launched in Sistan and Balouchestan Province, southeast of Iran on 30 October 2021.The campaign is part of a national effort to combat a resurgence of measles amid COVID-19 pandemic.

The campaign, which will be conducted from 30 October to 12 November, aims to vaccinate 679,491 children aged 9 months to 7 years, in the province. The MMR vaccination campaign is now underway in 7 Medical Universities located in southeast of Iran.

According to Public Relations - Dr. Khodadad Sheikhzadeh, Technical Vice Chancellor for Health, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, at the inauguration ceremony of the complementary vaccination for measles, rubella and mumps, said: "Measles is a global disease and has been known in Iran for a long time. In December 2003, with the implementation of the (MMR) vaccination campaign, more than 32 million people in the age group of 5 to 25 years were vaccinated against measles, and as a result, we have witnessed a decrease in cases of the disease".

Referring to the fact that in recent years the Islamic Republic of Iran has succeeded in receiving approval to eliminate measles and rubella, he added: According to this, the supplementary vaccination program against measles, rubella and mumps in the age group of 9 months to 7 years will be carried out from today for two weeks."

He said: in the implementation of this project in the areas covered by of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, a total of 581 vaccination teams will be deploy to vaccinate the target population."

He continued: "All families are requested to vaccinate their children aged 9 months to 7 years by attending comprehensive urban and rural health service centers and health post and health houses."