Health Protection Agency (HPA) has advised the public to get vaccinated according to the national program on immunization.

In a press release, HPA warned that vaccine preventable diseases have been on the rise around the world due to the increasing number of unvaccinated people.

HPA stated that no Maldivian has suffered or died from polio, diphtheria, and tetanus since the 1980s due to the population being immunized as infants.

Highlighting that Maldives has a better record of vaccinating its population compared to other regional countries, HPA stated that the World Health Organization presented a certificate to Maldives in 2017 for being the first South Asian country to eliminate measles.

HPA stated that an individual refusing vaccination exposes others in the community to diseases and that unvaccinated individuals are at higher risk of contracting diseases if they travel to other countries with a large unvaccinated population.

Therefore, HPA advised the public to be aware of which countries they are traveling to for the holidays.

HPA also advised parents to immunize their children from dangerous diseases and clarify any information with the agency.