Additional immunization days against measles and rubella began across Tajikistan on Monday, October 26, and will run to November 6, targeting children aged 6 months to 5 years, UNICEF said. The campaign is being conducted under an order of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan, UNICEF said in its announcement.

Source: UNICEF Tajikistan, Oct 26

The campaign targets approximately 836,000 children across 53 cities and districts, with the objective of closing population immunity gaps, reaching susceptible children and reducing the risk of further measles and rubella transmission, UNICEF said. To support the campaign, UNICEF has procured and supplied 863,500 doses of measles-rubella vaccine — 820,000 doses financed by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and 43,500 doses financed through government co-financing, according to UNICEF.

Source: UNICEF Tajikistan, Oct 26

Why the drive was ordered: 570 cases, most in small children

The campaign is being conducted in response to continued measles transmission in Tajikistan, UNICEF said. According to the WHO Regional Office for Europe Measles/Rubella Dashboard cited by UNICEF, 570 laboratory-confirmed measles cases were reported between January and August 2026, an incidence of 51.92 cases per million population. Children under five accounted for 80% of confirmed cases (456 cases), including 50.2% (286 cases) among infants under one year, and 143 cases (25.1%) were hospitalised, with no measles-related deaths reported, UNICEF said, citing the dashboard. A further 3,215 suspected cases were discarded and were not included in the confirmed total.

Source: UNICEF citing WHO Europe dashboard, Oct 26

Measles spreads rapidly through the air and can lead to severe health complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis, while rubella poses particular risks during pregnancy, as infection can seriously harm the developing baby, UNICEF said. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has separately documented the outbreak response in Tajikistan, recording that the Ministry of Health, with technical support from WHO and UNICEF, applied to the Measles & Rubella Partnership for additional vaccine doses — an application the IFRC record says was approved.

Source: UNICEF, Oct 26; IFRC GO record

Health teams will work through the 53 cities and districts until November 6. For Punjabi and Indian families, the drive is a reminder of how quickly measles returns when routine immunization gaps open — the same virus that health agencies in Canada and India continue to watch in their own outbreak reporting.