By NewsDesk  @bactiman63

On Friday, the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) declared a measles outbreak in Kambia District.

Image/CIA

There have been a total of three confirmed cases from a cluster of suspected cases in Bamoi Luma in the district.  A measles outbreak is defined as three or more laboratory confirmed cases in a community or district within a span of one month.

The World Health Organization (WHO) in Sierra Leone reports:

On the 19th October 2021, the Kambia District Health Management Team (DHMT) was notified by the Bamoi Luma Community Health Centre (CHC) of three suspected cases of measles in children aged 3, 5, and 6, residents of Fullah Town and Guinea Park communities within the Bamoi Luma CHC catchment area. The district surveillance unit conducted preliminary investigations including active case search in the surrounding communities leading to the identification and detection of twelve (12) additional suspected cases. Blood samples were collected from seven of the suspected cases for confirmation at the Central Public Health Reference Laboratory (CPHRL) in Freetown on 21st October, 2021. Three of the samples tested positive for measles.

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Measles is a serious but vaccine-preventable disease that is caused by a virus. When children are  not vaccinated, the virus can spread quickly and cause severe illness, disability and deaths. A safe, free and effective vaccine is available to protect children against measles virus, with two doses given as part of the routine vaccination schedule in Sierra Leone (the first dose at 9 months and the second at 15 months).

The Ministry of Health advises and encourages the public to get their children vaccinated against measles. Measles vaccination is available free of cost at all health facilities in the country.