Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Colombo, Jan 06 (Daily Mirror) –  The Health Ministry today commenced the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Supplementary Immunization Activity across all immunization clinic centres in nine high-risk health districts.

The targeted areas include Colombo (including the CMC area), Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Kandy, Jaffna, Kurunegala, and Kalmunai.

Running from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., this vaccination programme, led by the Epidemiology Unit, focuses on children born between April 7, 2023, and July 5, 2023. 

The decision to administer an additional vaccination dose against measles to infants aged 6 to 9 months comes in response to a surge in cases over the past year.

The second phase of the MMR vaccination drive is scheduled to commence on January 20, extending to other age groups nationwide. 

The health authorities emphasize that the MMR vaccination is considered an additional dose, and routine MMR vaccination should be administered to all children who have received the SIA-MMR vaccination upon completion of 9 months and 3 years of age.