PALIKIR, Pohnpei—Beginning November 21st, 2022, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) will begin a massive campaign to roll-out Measles, Mumps, & Rubella (MMR) vaccines for children aged between 1 to 3 years old, in addition to other routine vaccines for children aged between 2 to 59 months, and COVID-19 vaccines for children aged between 6 months and 4 years. The campaign will occur across all four of the Nations’ States—Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae.
Of the many unfortunate impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic, one of them is that the FSM’s routine and essential public health program activities suffered, while the FSM has historically had relatively decent coverage against MMR, the coverage as of November 21st, 2022, is the lowest in the Nation’s history. The second-dose coverage for the Measles vaccination is at 21.3%, with Kosrae’s coverage at 46%, Yap’s coverage at 34%, Chuuk’s coverage at 19%, and Pohnpei’s coverage at 16%.
The practical effect of this low vaccination coverage is that the Nation is vulnerable to a Measles outbreak. Intensifying the FSM’s efforts to administrate MMR vaccines, and other routine vaccines, is necessary in order to prevent such an outbreak.
The FSM Department of Health & Social Affairs, in partnership with the State Governments of Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae, is implementing the MMR vaccine at local public health clinics. Parents and/or legal guardians are encouraged to bring their children to their local public health clinic at the nearest opportunity.
