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THE Ministry of Health will launch a nationwide Measles-Rubella Supplementary Immunisation Activity (MR SIA) from 4 August to 12 October 2025, targeting all children aged between 6 and 59 months. The campaign forms part of the country’s effort to bolster herd immunity and accelerate progress towards eliminating measles by 2030.
The programme will cover children born between 1 August 2020 and 31 January 2025, with the ministry highlighting the urgent need to raise immunisation coverage and offer early protection against potential outbreaks.
“Measles and rubella are highly infectious diseases which can result in severe complications, including ear infections, pneumonia, encephalitis, seizures, and even death,” said the Ministry of Health in a statement. “However, both are preventable through vaccination with the MMR vaccine.”
Under the National Immunisation Programme, children are routinely given MMR doses at 9 and 12 months, with Sabah administering an additional dose at 6 months due to heightened susceptibility.
Although Malaysia’s national immunisation rate has consistently exceeded 95 per cent, only 62 per cent of districts reached the 95 per cent MMR coverage threshold in 2024 — the level needed to maintain effective herd immunity.
According to ministry figures, measles cases nearly doubled in 2024, increasing to 3,791 compared with 2,002 in 2023. The number of outbreaks rose from 112 to 231 within the same period.
Children under five made up 44.1 per cent of all cases, while non-citizens accounted for 28.9 per cent. Alarmingly, 84.3 per cent of those non-citizen cases had never received a measles vaccine. Three measles-related deaths were also recorded in 2024, involving unvaccinated children aged 8 months, 3 years, and 17 years.
The Health Ministry is urging parents and guardians to ensure eligible children receive the additional vaccine dose, which will be provided free of charge. Appointments will be issued via the MySejahtera app, while walk-in services will be available at government health clinics.
Outreach teams will also be deployed to schools, community centres, and remote areas to guarantee widespread access to the vaccine.
“This initiative reflects the values of our MADANI framework – wellbeing and compassion,” the ministry added.
For more information, members of the public are encouraged to contact their nearest district health office or government clinic. - August 4, 2025