Tajikistan will conduct a supplementary measles and rubella vaccination campaign for children aged six months to five years from October 26 to November 6. More than 700 children have been diagnosed with measles in the country this year, official data show.
A source at the Republican Center for Immunoprophylaxis told Asia-Plus that the campaign will cover all cities and districts except Vahdat, Hisor, Isfara, Panjakent, Roudaki, Varzob, Qubodiyon, Danghara, Shahritous, Kushoniyon, Vose, Vakhsh and Farkhor, where children were vaccinated in 2025.
The center said the campaign aims to prevent the spread of the two diseases.
More than 700 confirmed measles cases
From the beginning of 2026 through September 23, Tajikistan registered 3,873 suspected measles cases. Laboratory tests confirmed the disease in 707 cases, while the remaining tests were negative, the source said.
“All 707 children with confirmed measles received medical care and recovered. No deaths have been recorded,” the source told Asia-Plus.
No figures were provided for rubella cases this year.
Under an order from the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population, 818,399 children are to be vaccinated during the campaign.
Tajikistan has received 863,500 doses of Indian-made measles and rubella vaccine. Of these, 43,500 doses were purchased using the national budget, while 820,000 were provided by development partners.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through the air and can cause serious complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis. Rubella is generally milder but can cause severe birth defects if a woman contracts the infection during pregnancy.
Which children are eligible?
The campaign will cover children born between October 27, 2021, and April 26, 2026.
Parents and guardians are advised to contact local medical facilities for further information and vaccination. Children attending nurseries may also be vaccinated at their preschools with parental consent.
In early 2025, media reports raised concerns about a possible measles outbreak among children, with residents and hospital doctors reporting an increase in patients with symptoms of infectious diseases. At the time, however, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population said no measles outbreak had been recorded in the country.
In 2022, Tajikistan registered 425 measles cases, compared with just 10 in 2021.