Samoa lifts measles state of emergency

World Today

Samoa MeaslesIn this November 2019, image from video, masked children wait to get vaccinated at a health clinic in Apia, Samoa. Samoa closed all its schools on Monday, Nov.18, 2019, banned children from public gatherings and mandated that everybody get vaccinated after declaring an emergency due to a measles outbreak. For the past three weeks, the Pacific island nation of 200,000 people has been in the grip of a measles epidemic that has been exacerbated by low immunization rates. (TVNZ via AP)

After six weeks, Samoa ended emergency measures to contain a deadly outbreak of measles.

According to the Guardian, the measles killed at least 81 people in Samoa and sickened than 5,600. 

The epidemic eased in mid-December after a push for vaccinations raised immunizations rates close to 95%.

Under the state of emergency, the country closed schools and restricted travel to contain the virus.