“Papua New Guinea may have avoided any serious threat from measles after millions of children were vaccinated when the country dealt with a recent polio outbreak.
“Measles has caused major problems across the Pacific with an epidemic in Samoa claiming 83 lives.
“In PNG, there are currently four confirmed cases in four different provinces with a number of suspected cases.
“However, UNICEF health programme officer Philomena Tatireta said an estimated 3.4 million children received the polio dose and at the same time got the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccination in 2019.
“Ms Tatireta said that should ensure the threat was contained.
Health authorities were now targeting children born since last year's polio vaccinations.
"With the outbreaks that have happened, they have been contained by the provincial health authorities. A lot of measures have been put in place to make sure that vaccines are available to children in all provinces.
"So, we're just trying to make sure to get the message across to parents and caregivers to have their children taken to the nearest health facility to get them vaccinated against measles."
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