The government has taken special steps in order to control the measles outbreak in the Maldives, and has announced the initiation of a three month vaccination program.

The announcement was made by Minister of Health, Ibrahim Ameen during a press conference held today.

While the government has taken steps to control the spread of measles, two confirmed cases of measles have been found within the time frame of one week. They include a three year old child and a 30 year old adult. In addition to this, a suspected case of a 17 year old is currently being treated at state-run Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

Minster Ameem noted that relevant authorities alongside the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Maldives were working on taking special steps to rectify the situation. As such, arrangements have been made for quarantines in case of a widespread outbreak.

A nationwide vaccination program that will span three months have also been initiated to vaccinate those who have never been vaccinated and those who never completed their dose.