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May 3, 2002

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Over 100 Dead of Measles in Papua New Guinea Highlands"

BBC Worldwide Monitoring (www.monitor.bbc.co.uk) (05/02/02)

A measles outbreak in the Western Highlands in Papua New Guinea has killed at least 102 children in the past four months, according to medical staff at the Mount Hagen General Hospital. Over 1,200 pediatric measles patients were admitted to the hospital between January and April this year, with 426 in April alone.  Limited supplies of drugs to treat the disease were received on Monday from the Australian Agency for International Development, but one medical officer said that would not be sufficient to curb the disease.  To prevent further spread of the disease, parents are being called on to get their children vaccinated against measles.

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