Ritika Pratap 
The Ministry of Health is closely monitoring measles alerts and reports in Australia and New Zealand.
This comes after cases were diagnosed in various parts of both countries last month.
In a statement, the Ministry said it is conducting surveillance through the Early Warning Alert and Response Surveillance system, as well as the Hospital-Based Active Surveillance for Acute Fever and Rash system.
The Ministry’s Essential Immunization Program, which has been in place since 2003, is effective against measles infection.
Under this program, all children are offered two doses of the combination Measles-Rubella vaccine: the first at age one, and the second when they enter primary school.
Fiji’s immunization coverage for children is currently reported to be 95.2%.
Measles is a highly infectious airborne viral disease that spreads through coughing and sneezing.
People who are not immune to the disease – those who have not been vaccinated or who have never had the disease – are at risk of contracting measles.
The symptoms include fever, runny nose, cough, and sore, red eyes. A rash typically appears a few days after these symptoms and spreads across the body.
