Measles cases drop 80% in Morocco after vaccine push

According to Yabiladi News, Morocco has achieved a remarkable 80% reduction in measles cases over the past 16 weeks, signaling a major public health victory amid ongoing vaccination efforts. This significant decline was announced on 26th May during a parliamentary session in the House of Representatives by Minister of Health and Social Protection, Amine Tahraoui. He noted that the drop is measured from the peak incidence recorded four months ago.

In response to a query from the National Rally of Independents parliamentary group on the progress of the measles vaccination campaign in Morocco, Minister Tahraoui explained that the weekly incidence rate has fallen to just one case per 100,000 inhabitants nationwide. He emphasised that since the initial detection of measles cases, the Ministry has implemented a comprehensive national plan to contain the disease, complemented by targeted field measures.

Presenting epidemiological surveillance data, Tahraoui revealed that as of May 16th, the vaccination status of more than 10.76 million children under the age of 18 had been verified, representing 98.57% of the target population. The campaign identified 754,202 children who were either unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated, and thanks to intensive efforts on the ground, 586,912 of these children have since received catch-up vaccinations, achieving a coverage rate of approximately 78%. This initiative has played a crucial role in closing the immunisation gap and curbing the epidemic’s spread.

The Minister highlighted that a total of 801,702 doses of the measles vaccine – including both supplementary and preventative doses – have been administered during the campaign. This achievement has allowed Morocco to exceed a revised national average of 95% full measles vaccination coverage among children under 18, surpassing the threshold recommended by the World Health Organisation.

“Since the detection of the first cases, we have mobilized all necessary resources to contain the outbreak and protect public health,” Tahraoui said.

“This has significantly narrowed the immunity gap and played a decisive role in slowing transmission,” he added.

The campaign’s success reflects coordinated efforts between the Ministry, regional health authorities, and local teams, positioning Morocco as a regional example in rapidly scaling up immunisation to combat infectious diseases.

Yabiladi News/ Maghrebi.org