Since the beginning of 2025, 229 new cases of measles have been recorded in Kyrgyzstan, including 144 in Bishkek. This was reported by the country's Ministry of Health here.
According to the data, the main reason for the increase in cases is the low coverage of vaccination among the population, with the capital having only 69 percent coverage, while the required rate reaches up to 95 percent.
Comparing this year's brief statistics with last year's, in 2024, 14,380 cases of measles were reported in the republic, 5.7 thousand of which were in the city of Bishkek.
As part of the execution of the Cabinet of Ministers' protocol assignments, a mobile rapid response team meeting was organized by the Ministry of Health.
Healthcare and city administration officials, leaders of healthcare institutions, educational establishments, and representatives of regional administrations participated in the discussions. The current epidemiological situation and monitoring of vaccination campaigns against measles, rubella, ARVI, and influenza were discussed.
Last year, three stages of additional and booster vaccinations were carried out in the republic. In total, 918 thousand children, 29,258 healthcare workers, teachers, and students of secondary and higher education institutions were vaccinated.
It is noted that, to prevent the further spread of measles, the ministry continues extensive vaccination campaigns for children from nine months to seven years old.
“However, achieving full coverage is difficult due to vaccine refusal, creating serious epidemiological risks as the virus actively spreads among unvaccinated children,” the ministry emphasized.
Following the rapid response team meeting, a decision was made to intensify educational efforts among the population and preventive measures against measles.
