- Warn vaccine hesitancy could trigger outbreaks
Deflecting allegations of diminishing surveillance in the prevention of a resurgence of measles in the country, Consultant Community Physician (CCP) Epidemiology Unit, Dr. Athula Liyanapathirana said that there was a case based surveillance system in place at ground level to prevent the disease from reemerging.
Responding to questions from The Daily Morning yesterday (26), Dr. Liyanapathirana said yesterday (26) that the public health services carried out a surveillance in which the patients – whether child or adult, contacts who were exposed to the patient were identified and advised to be cautious. Also surveillance was carried out in the locality of the patient to ensure there were no more patients in the area.
"Similar action was taken with regard to the two cases that were detected this month. It should be noted however the two cases diagnosed were from parents who were of mythical belief and misinformation regarding childhood vaccines. They were from vaccine hesitant families," he said.
He further said that in 2023 an outbreak of measles had occurred also in a pocket where parents were vaccine hesitant. However, the country was able to bring the situation under control at that point, he noted.
Dr. Liyanapathirana noted that following the tests carried out on the patients it had been discovered that the viral strain was totally different from the stain present in the region. However, there is also a section of persons who belonged to a point in history in which there was a gap in the administration of the measles vaccine who would now belong to the 20 to 30 year age group. The Measles vaccine was launched in 1984 while Measles and Rubella vaccine in 2001. Currently however the measles mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) vaccine is being administered to children.
Informed health sources noted however that Sri Lanka was declared measles free in 2019 by the World Health Organisation (WHO). They noted however that if proper surveillance was not carried out by the public health services, there would be further outbreaks of the viral infection.