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Rabat – Morocco’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection has announced that it is now vaccinating adults against measles, a move that expands its previous campaign which only targeted children under 18.
Doctor Mohamed Benazzouz, the head of the vaccination program, shared the update in an interview with SNRTNews. He explained that health centers across the country are now accepting individuals who wish to receive the vaccine.
To get the vaccine, adults need to bring their health record book to confirm whether they missed a dose of the measles vaccine during childhood, regardless of their age.
Benazzouz noted that this campaign is voluntary and aims to boost immunity against the disease after an increase in measles cases in the country.
The ministry is currently prioritizing vaccination for frontline healthcare workers, who have been at higher risk of infection due to exposure to patients. These measures follow reports that these infections have spread from patients to medical staff.
The ministry had previously launched a national campaign to catch up on missed vaccinations for children under 18. Now, they have expanded it to include all age groups in order to strengthen the population’s immunity against measles.
The health ministry’s decision follows a recent measles outbreak that has affected dozens of inmates across multiple prisons in the country.
With at least 40 active cases remaining as of this weekend, the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration (DGAPR) has coordinated with provincial health teams to vaccinate nearly 3,800 inmates and staff.
The initiative comes in the wake of a broader health crisis in Morocco, where the country has reported over 19,000 measles cases since October 2023, resulting in 107 deaths, half of which were children under 12.
The campaign aims to control the spread of the disease, as post-pandemic vaccine hesitancy has caused a resurgence.
