There have been no reported cases of measles in the country so far, Minister of Health Hakan Dinçyürek has said, Yeniduzen reports.
Dinçyürek made his comments after six cases of measles were reported in south Cyprus in the first three months of this year.
He emphasised the importance of administering vaccinations to all children at the times recommended by the Ministry of Health to protect the health of children and the community.
According to the statement from the Ministry, Dinçyürek stated that symptoms of measles include high fever, runny nose, redness and watering of the eyes, cough, and typically a few days later, the development of a red or brown rash starting on the face and spreading to the entire body.
Dinçyürek continued, “Measles typically resolves within 7-10 days, but it can lead to complications such as pneumonia, meningitis, seizures, and blindness. Rarely, measles can be fatal. Measles is a preventable infectious disease, and vaccination is the only way to prevent it. Globally, the decline in measles vaccination rates due to vaccine hesitancy and conflicts, compounded by the COVID pandemic, has led to an increase in the incidence of the disease compared to previous years.
“The Ministry of Health of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus recommends administering the measles vaccine as two doses at ages 1 and 4 under the KKK schedule. Additionally, the vaccine should be administered to under-vaccinated or unvaccinated individuals unless contraindicated. The Primary Health Services Department visits schools annually to identify and administer missing vaccinations to primary school students in grades 1 and 5. As part of the digitisation efforts over the past year, work has been done to establish the Vaccination Tracking System, which is planned to be operational soon. Furthermore, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education, vaccination cards of all students in all schools have been requested.
“Administering vaccinations to all children at the times recommended by the Ministry of Health is crucial for protecting the health of children and the community. Postponing or delaying vaccinations not only jeopardises the health of an individual child but also the entire community“.
