The number of individuals who tested positive for the fast-spreading infectious measles has increased to eight.

According to the statistics publicized by the Ministry of Health, a total of eight have tested positive and thus far, 4,449 individuals have acquired vaccination doses for the virus.

Under the ring vaccination movement, vaccination doses have been administered to 1,092 individuals and 1,086 health sector employees have sought vaccination.

So far, the ministry has conducted eight training sessions with relevant facilities in the health sector, even having conducted training through teleconferencing for about 497 employees.

As part of the ministry’s efforts to curb the spread of the virus, an awareness campaign was launched on 18 January in outlying atolls.

Further, the ministry revealed that their measles vaccination campaign will begin within the next week or so and that they expect to receive 200,000 doses by the end of January.

The government of India donated 30,000 vaccination doses for Measles and Rubella to the people of Maldives on 23 January.

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) publicly declared the elimination of measles from Maldives during June 2017, the disease resurfaced in the Maldives in early January. The ministry made the reveal on 8 January after a three-year-old tested positive.

The infectious virus is notably catching the air, with the ministry having begun clinical services in facilities for those who have not gotten the required two doses to acquire vaccination and have been pushing the people who have not gotten their required two doses of MR and MMR vaccinations, to get them at the earliest.