Egypt is ramping up a nationwide vaccination drive targeting children aged nine months to 10 years in an effort to preserve its measles and rubella elimination status, using digital records and community outreach to reach over 20 million children.
Egypt is stepping up a nationwide measles and rubella vaccination drive as health officials move to protect a public-health gain first recognised by the World Health Organisation in November 2022. According to the ministry’s spokesman, Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the international verification meant Egypt had interrupted endemic transmission of both diseases, although outbreaks can still appear in other countries and reintroduce risk.
Abdel Ghaffar said the planned campaign will begin on 1 October and will target children from nine months to 10 years old. He said the goal is to reach about 20 million to 21 million children and deliver roughly 23 million doses, with the broader aim of keeping community immunity above 95%.
The campaign is designed to supplement, not replace, routine immunisation. Measles, rubella and mumps are already part of Egypt’s standard childhood vaccination schedule, but health officials say periodic catch-up drives are needed to maintain protection. The ministry is preparing more than 5,000 vaccination points, backed by 286 secondary stores across health departments in the country’s 27 governorates and 27 main stores, in addition to central Ministry of Health warehouses in Cairo.
To widen coverage, the ministry plans to rely on digitised birth and child health records, alongside mobile teams that will go door to door and visit schools, nurseries, churches and mosques. Abdel Ghaffar said the effort is intended to reach children as the new school year begins in September and to preserve the country’s elimination status by keeping immunity levels high.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
