The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Deputy Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

MORE than 100 people have been given the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination in recent weeks, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said yesterday.

Considering the government’s push to administer about 50,000 vaccinations amid a worldwide measles outbreak, this indicates the effort is off to a slow start.

However, he told reporters yesterday health officials have done much of the leg work to have different groups of people vaccinated.

Dr Sands confirmed on Monday there has been a second case of measles in the country — this time in a 10-year-old tourist. This child would not be allowed to travel internationally until crusting of the measles lesions has progressed past the infectious point, he said.

This child is the elder brother of the four-year-old who was also confirmed to have measles last month. The four-year-old marked the first confirmed case of measles in the Bahamas in over 20 years and Dr Sands confirmed it February 21.

“We have established the core team (and) we hope to get another almost 50,000 vaccinated,” Dr Sands said yesterday outside Cabinet.

“We have had more than 100 people already inoculated but we have done the leg work to get different groups of people vaccinated.”

Last month, the minister said officials were targeting 7,000 children between one to 15-years-old and 40,800 of people 16-years-old and older.

At the time, he told The Tribune the objective was to increase MMR immunisation coverage in all children 15 years and younger by ensuring two doses of MMR vaccine are administered.