COLOMBO, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health has launched a special measles vaccination program starting Monday and running until Nov. 9, targeting selected districts in response to recent cases of the disease.

Hasitha Tissera, a senior epidemiologist at the Ministry of Health, announced that the program will be conducted in 12 districts across the country.

Although Sri Lanka successfully eliminated measles, cases were reported in certain areas last year, according to Tissera.

This program specifically targets young people who, for various reasons, did not receive the full dose of the measles vaccine, he said.

The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine was introduced into Sri Lanka's immunization program in 1984. A second dose was added in 2001 to strengthen immunity levels, and in 2019, the World Health Organization declared Sri Lanka measles-free.

However, a global drop in immunization coverage between 2020 and 2022 impacted many countries in the region, contributing to a resurgence of measles cases, including in Sri Lanka, UNICEF reported earlier this year. Enditem

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