Rwanda is among countries that at risk of experiencing a measles outbreak as people continue repatriating from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the disease has claimed over 6,000 lives.

About seven million Rwandans are immunised with the first dose of measles vaccine with over 95 per cent of children below the age of five received the second dose of Measles-Containing Vaccine (MCV2).

However, in some areas, routine vaccination coverage remains low, mainly due to the reluctance of parents to take their newborn babies for vaccination, according to officials from Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC).

Every after five years the Centre conducts mass measles vaccination campaigns in all parts of the country, but when the campaign ceases they say some parents tend to fail to take their newborn children for vaccination, which could subject them to the epidemic in times of the outbreak.

Dr Hassan Sibomana, director of vaccination programme at RBC, said they have tightened surveillance at all borders of Rwanda with DR Congo.

“Even though about 80 and 60 per cent of Rwandans are estimated to have been vaccinated with one and some two doses of measles vaccine respectively, residents in areas bordering with DRC are requested to remain protective while crossing the border,” he said.

“We have not and we will not restrict people from Congo or block Rwandans going there but we urge all people crossing to make sure they are vaccinated or have been vaccinated with measles vaccine,” said Dr Sibomana.

He said it is not mandatory that those who are not vaccinated will not cross to Congo and come back.