Georgia is still gripped by a measles epidemic with 2,880 cases documented, Director General of the National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health of the Georgian Health Ministry Amiran Gamkrelidze said Thursday
TBILISI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th April, 2019) Georgia is still gripped by a measles epidemic with 2,880 cases documented, Director General of the National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health of the Georgian Health Ministry Amiran Gamkrelidze said Thursday.
"Despite the fact that the last months have been marked by stabilization, in other words, the growth rate was not so high, the epidemic is still ongoing ... Every day we have 15-20 new cases. Most often the disease spreads among people aged from 20 to 40 years," Gamkrelidze said, adding that from January to March two people had died and 2,880 people had got sick with 60 percent among them hospitalized.
Gamkrelidze also pointed out that it was necessary to carry out vaccinations. Moreover, he thanked the Tbilisi mayor for calling upon the population to take vaccines. Gamkrelidze expressed certainty that vaccines are the only way to defeat measles.
On March 18, Gamkrelidze said that more than 100,000 people had been vaccinated since January 19. However, in order to stop measles, another 250,000 people must also be vaccinated.
According to the World Health Organization, measles remains an important cause of death among children globally, being a highly contagious viral disease. It is still a big threat despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine.
Georgian schools and kindergartens continue to demand special documentation confirming that parents have vaccinated their child. Otherwise, children face dismissal. After the measles epidemic burst out in Georgia in January 2019, the local government decided to provide the citizens with free measles vaccinations.
