According to the Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, an additional 3,379 people fell ill to measles during the past week.

Image/Robert Herriman
Image/Robert Herriman

From December 28, 2018 to February 1, 2019, measles in Ukraine is now 15,095 cases – 6,364 adults and 8,731 children.

The highest rates of morbidity are in Lviv (a total of 2 651 people: 908 adults and 1,743 children), Vinnytsia (1 383: 588 adults and 795 children), Rivne (1,389: 457 adults and 932 children), Khmelnytsky (1,058: 583) adults and 475 children) and Kyiv (1 214 people: 624 adults and 572 children).

Health officials stress that only vaccination will stop the spread of disease.

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The Ministry of Health of Ukraine initiated extraordinary measures to protect against measles. In January, in Lviv region, a special operation was launched to increase the coverage of immunization of children aged 6 to 18 who missed scheduled vaccinations for any reason.

Emergency measures for the immunization of children, which will begin in the Lviv region in the second half of February, are also planned in other regions of Ukraine. Such actions have already been supported in Vinnitsa, which is constantly second only to the disease of measles among the regions of Ukraine.

According to the decision of the Oblast Commission on Technological and Environmental Safety and Emergencies in the Vinnytsya oblast, efforts have been initiated to stop the spread of the measles. With the consent of parents, children receive missed vaccinations in schools and kindergartens, and students are directed to get used to the centers of primary medical and sanitary assistance of the city heads of universities.

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