LA PAZ, July 22 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Bolivia is stepping up its efforts to combat a potential measles outbreak, with the Health Ministry conducting an international health emergency drill at El Alto International Airport and the Education Ministry implementing mandatory vaccination checks for students.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Health, in coordination with Naabol, DGAC, and local health services, held a comprehensive drill at El Alto International Airport. This exercise simulated the detection of suspected measles cases on an arriving international flight, followed by the activation of emergency protocols, including isolation procedures, patient transport, and the activation of the airport’s Emergency Operations Center.
Naabol stands for Air Navigation and Bolivian Airports (Navegación Aérea y Aeropuertos Bolivianos), a public decentralized entity created in December 2021 to manage the country’s airports and air navigation services. DGAC stands for Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil: Bolivia’s civil aviation authority.
The drill aimed to assess operational capacity and inter-institutional coordination, ensuring that health personnel and other actors at border points are familiar with international health regulations and response protocols, and evaluating the effective execution of roles in a real health risk scenario.
The exercise simulated the detection of suspected measles cases during health triage, followed by the staggered activation of yellow and orange alerts, as per International Health Regulations (IHR).
Meanwhile, Education Minister Omar Véliz announced that all students must present their measles vaccination card on the first day back to school. To achieve 100% immunization, the Ministry of Health will deploy vaccination brigades across the country to immunize children, adolescents, and young people who lack their cards. Teachers, principals, and educational staff are authorized to verify vaccination records.
These measures come as Cochabamba reported its first two confirmed measles cases: a three-month-old newborn and a 20-year-old man. — NNN-MERCOPRESS
