(November 25, 2024, Monrovia, Liberia)—the Ministry of Health (MOH) along with partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, USAID, etc., have officially rolled out a nationwide measles vaccination today, to combat the outbreak of measles in the country. The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) Deputy Program Manager, Lasse W Colee, administered symbolic a vaccination at the Montserrado County Health, declaring the nationwide vaccination launched. Earlier, Dr. Yuah A Nemah, EPI Program manager, lauded health workers, and local and international partners for their support of the ongoing vaccination. “We are grateful to the partners and donors for their support. We appreciate the hard-working Montserrado County Health Team. For and on behalf of the Minister of Health Dr. Louise M. Kpoto we would like to declare the measles campaign officially open,” he declared.  

The vaccination exercise runs from November 25 to December 1, 2024, targeting approximately 743,806 eligible children aged 9 months to 5 years across all fifteen counties. This initiative marks a crucial step toward eliminating measles in Liberia and ensuring that all children are protected from this preventable disease. The vaccine is administered free of charge as a single dose injection on the upper left arm of children. Parents are encouraged to take their children to vaccination sites at clinics, hospitals, and special vaccination posts, including at schools, religious centers (churches, mosques, etc.) & markets, etc. The vaccination teams are not doing house-to-house visits. All vaccines given to children are recorded on the vaccination card, and the card is given to the parent/caregiver. The Ministry and its partners engaged in extensive preparations, including having advocacy meetings and strategic discussions with key stakeholders, completing the distribution of materials throughout the fifteen counties, and setting up accessible vaccination sites nationwide to reach all eligible children. The Ministry calls on parents, caregivers, religious leaders, and all Liberians to join the fight against measles.