Madagascar measles epidemic kills 1,200

Madagascar is facing the largest measles outbreak in its history, with 1,200 dead and more than 115,000 cases in the poor island nation.

The outbreak has mostly killed children under 15 since it began in September, according to the World Health Organization.

“The epidemic unfortunately continues to expand in size”, said Dr Dossou Vincent Sodjinou, an epidemiologist working on the island.

Just 58 percent of people on Madagascar’s main island have been vaccinated against measles, a major factor in the outbreak’s spread. Immunization rates need to be at least 90 per cent or higher to prevent outbreaks.

The epidemic is complicated by the fact that nearly 50 per cent of children in Madagascar are malnourished.