• Health teams deployed to high-risk Colombo areas
• Authorities on alert after outbreaks in B’desh, Thailand
• Misinformation, missed doses, vulnerable age groups cited as key risks

Sri Lanka’s hard-won status as a measles-free nation has come under fresh threat following the confirmation of two imported measles cases in the Colombo District. 

Health authorities warn that vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and immunity gaps could allow the highly contagious disease to regain a foothold in the country.

This was first revealed during a media briefing held by the Family Health Bureau (FHB) recently. The officials said that laboratory investigations had confirmed that the virus had been imported and was unrelated to Sri Lanka’s previous local outbreak in 2023. 

They urged parents to act responsibly, saying that protecting children through vaccination was not only an individual decision but a national responsibility.  

Samples tested through regional laboratories and verified through specialised testing in India had identified the strain as foreign in origin, indicating the infections were newly introduced from overseas rather than resulting from dormant domestic transmission. 

“This is not an extension of the previous outbreak. This is a fresh introduction,” Epidemiology Unit Consultant Community Physician Dr. Athula Liyanapathirana said, warning that the country had to act swiftly to prevent any secondary chains of transmission. 

Following the media briefing, Dr. Liyanapathirana told The Sunday Morning that the latest cases, both involving children who had not received their scheduled Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccines, marked the first reported infections since January 2025 and had triggered heightened surveillance measures in Colombo and surrounding areas. Officials stated that the children’s parents had either delayed or refused the recommended vaccine doses. 

The resurgence comes at a time when several countries in the region are grappling with outbreaks. Bangladesh is currently facing a severe measles wave that has reportedly claimed more than 100 children’s lives, while similar outbreaks have also been reported in Thailand. 

Thus, Dr. Liyanapathirana cautioned that international travel and regional mobility increased the risk of additional imported cases reaching Sri Lanka. 

Sri Lanka was recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as having eliminated measles in 2019 after years of sustained immunisation efforts. However, public health officials noted that elimination status could only be maintained if imported infections did not lead to continuous local transmission over a prolonged period. 

When asked whether the rise of vaccine hesitancy was a major concern, Dr. Liyanapathirana said that vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaxxers in Sri Lanka were created mainly due to misinformation online. 

Research conducted in collaboration with social science experts from the University of Colombo found that many hesitant parents were influenced by false claims circulating through Facebook groups and other social media platforms, he said. 

“Even if they know the scientific fact that a child could die from complications if they don’t get the measles vaccine, some parents still avoid it due to these wrong attitudes,” Dr. Liyanapathirana said. “Some say it is because of religion, but often the root cause is ignorance.” 

He also pointed to a linguistic factor in relation to Sinhala, where the same commonly used term for ‘injection’ is often applied to both vaccines and ordinary medical injections such as antibiotics, allowing fears associated with one to spill over unfairly onto childhood immunisation. 

He noted that the 2023 measles outbreak had similarly begun among unvaccinated children, and the same pattern was visible in the latest cases. 

“The disease does not affect those who are protected. It quickly finds and targets unprotected children,” he said. 

In response to the recent two cases, the Health Ministry has intensified surveillance and field operations in the Colombo District, particularly in Kolonnawa, Gothatuwa, Ratmalana, and Dehiwala. 

Special outreach teams have been deployed to engage directly with hesitant families through counselling, educational videos, and flip chart presentations aimed at increasing trust in vaccination and encouraging children to receive catch-up doses.

According to Dr. Liyanapathirana, private practitioners and general practitioners have also been instructed to immediately refer any patient presenting fever and rash symptoms to hospitals or public health authorities for urgent screening, in a bid to strengthen early detection systems.

During the press conference, Dr. Liyanapathirana also warned of a growing immunity gap among adults aged 20–34 years. 

This age group may have incomplete protection due to historical changes in Sri Lanka’s vaccination schedule, creating a pool of susceptible individuals through whom the virus could spread. Such transmission, he said, would pose a major risk to infants under nine months, who are too young to receive their first vaccine dose. 

Addressing concerns over shortages in the wider healthcare system, Dr. Liyanapathirana said that vaccine supplies remained secure. 

Sri Lanka currently maintains a six-month buffer stock at the national level, three-month reserves in district cold rooms, and approximately two months of additional stocks at the divisional level. 

“Even if a global shortage occurs, we can manage for about 10 months without any trouble,” he said, distinguishing vaccines from other medicines that may periodically face supply constraints.