SUVA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Samoa's Ministry of Health confirmed on Saturday that two more deaths have been recorded in the island nation's measles epidemic in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 44 since the outbreak started in mid-October this year.
According to a government statement on Saturday, all but four of the deaths are children under the age of four.
The Ministry of Health said a total of 3,357 cases have been recorded to the Disease Surveillance Team so far, with 208 cases reported in the last 24 hours.
A total of 189 people are now hospitalized with measles.
Currently, Samoa is in a state of emergency, with all schools closed, a mass vaccination campaign underway and public gatherings in the nation restricted.
Since the Mass Vaccination Campaign launched on Nov. 20, 2019, the ministry has successfully vaccinated 54,046 individuals in the nation.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that is transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons. Death may occur in up to 5-10 percent of infected young children in developing countries.
