More Than 20 Children In Samoa Die From Measles Since Outbreak - Authorities

The Samoan government said on Monday that 25 people, mostly children, have died from measles since an outbreak of the disease in the middle of October

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th November, 2019) The Samoan government said on Monday that 25 people, mostly children, have died from measles since an outbreak of the disease in the middle of October.

"To date, 2,194 measles cases have been reported since the outbreak with 144 recorded in the last 24 hours. To date, 25 measles related deaths have been recorded," the Samoan government said on its Twitter page, adding that 24 children aged four and younger were among the deceased.

The Samoan Health Ministry announced the outbreak on October 16 after the first deaths had been reported. To combat the spread of the disease, the authorities launched the Mass Vaccination Campaign on November 20.

More than 17,000 individuals have been vaccinated since then, according to the Samoan government's Twitter account.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that starts in the respiratory system. Its spread has been steadily on the rise since 2016.

The World Health Organization said in August that the number of measles cases registered in the first half of 2019 is three times higher than during the same period last year, with the highest number of instances recorded in Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar.