Daijiworld Media Network - Ulan Bator

Ulan Bator, Jan 8: Mongolia’s measles outbreak continues to grow, with the country’s National Centre for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) reporting 8 new local infections over the past 24 hours, bringing the total case count to 13,861.

The NCCD noted that more than half of the recent infections occurred among school-age children who had received only one dose of the measles vaccine. Authorities urged parents to ensure their children receive the full two-dose vaccination to protect against this highly contagious disease, Xinhua reported.

Measles, caused by a virus, spreads easily through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or breathes. While it can infect people of all ages, children are most at risk. The illness affects the respiratory system before spreading throughout the body and can lead to severe complications or death.

Symptoms typically appear 10–14 days after exposure and initially include high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and small white spots inside the cheeks. A characteristic rash usually develops 7–18 days after infection, starting on the face and upper neck and spreading to the rest of the body over three days. The rash generally fades after 5–6 days.

Vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent measles and stop its spread. The NCCD emphasized that the measles vaccine is safe and provides strong protection against the virus.

Before the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, major epidemics occurred every 2–3 years, resulting in an estimated 2.6 million deaths annually. Despite the availability of safe and cost-effective vaccines, measles still caused an estimated 107,500 deaths worldwide in 2023, primarily among children under five.

The NCCD continues to monitor the situation closely and urges parents to ensure timely vaccination of their children to prevent further spread of the disease.