Ministry of Healthcare announces the repeal of age restrictions for free vaccination against measles

Ministry of Healthcare announces the repeal of age restrictions for free vaccination against measles, reports Ministry’s press-office.

The changes were implemented by the Ministry of Healthcare order of April 23, 2019 ‘Regarding changes in prophylactic vaccination calendar in Ukraine”.

Earlier free vaccines were free of charge only for adults under 30 years old and persons from groups of professional risk – medical and military personnel, teachers, and students. 

Now free vaccination is available for all adults who had contacted ill persons (recommended to be done within first 72 hours after contact), who was not previously exposed to measles, and have no confirmed record of vaccination; and are not immune to measles according to IgG antibodies test results.   

Ministry highlights that an adult needs only one vaccination to form immunity. 

Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by the measles virus that could be potentially lethal.  Its symptoms typically include fever, cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes, red flat rash, and general intoxication. There is no specific cure for measles, reads Ministry’s release. 

World Health Organization reported that in 2018 in Europe more than 82 thousand people fell ill with measles. And, in Ukraine that number reached 53 thousand people. 72 persons died of measles in Europe in 2018, amongst them were 16 Ukrainians. WHO stressed that the reason of outbreak of measles in Ukraine is low vaccination level. 

On April 6 the Acting Minister of Healthcare of Ukraine Ulana Suprun informed that 35 people died of measles in Ukraine since the beginning of measles outbreak. 

As of May 6, 45 147 cases of measles were registered in Ukraine in 2019, and 17 people died of measles-caused complications.