Seventeen additional measles cases were detected in the Greater Malé region over the past week, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Maldives this year to 243.

Although the Maldives was declared to have eradicated measles in 2017, isolated cases were recorded in 2020 and 2023. However, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) noted a significant surge in infections this year.

In response, public health authorities have administered 16,045 doses of the measles vaccine under a targeted vaccination campaign aimed at containing the outbreak.

The HPA urges anyone unsure of their vaccination status to complete both doses at designated centers. Direct contacts of confirmed cases can receive vaccinations at Hulhumalé Hospital or the Urban Primary Health Care Center, while general vaccination services remain available at hospitals across Malé and health centers throughout the atolls.