Unvaccinated child dies of complications from measles

A nine-year-old unvaccinated child died of measles on Friday, the Health Ministry announced, in the 15th recorded death of an unvaccinated child caused by an ongoing measles outbreak.

The child was hospitalized in critical condition and was declared dead after several attempts by the medical staff to resuscitate him.

The ministry noted that the previous 14 children who died from measles were not vaccinated, with most of them being healthy before the disease and without underlying complications.

“The vaccine saves lives,” the ministry added, assuring the population that the vaccines were safe and effective in fighting measles.

The statement also emphasized the importance of seeking medical treatment promptly when symptoms appear or an infection is suspected, and noted that early arrival may save lives. 

The Health Ministry‘s official policy recommends that all children be vaccinated against measles between the ages of 1 and 6 as part of the routine vaccination program.

In areas where a measles outbreak has been detected, the ministry recommends a second dose of the vaccine for children aged one and a half years and an additional dose for infants aged 6-11 months, especially before traveling to areas experiencing an outbreak.

In addition, the Ministry recommended that those who are not vaccinated, as well as parents of infants who received one dose at 6-11 months of age, avoid participating in large-scale events in outbreak-prone areas due to the risk of infection.