Mass measles vaccination for migrants is expected to be launched in the Russian Federation next month.   

Migrants will be vaccinated against measles alongside Russian nationals in the framework of the measles immunization campaign.  

The large-scale immunization campaign in high-risk areas for measles outbreaks will begin on April 1 and it will last until October 1, according to the website of legal information.   

The regional authorities will have to purchase vaccines and organize immunization of labor migrants, who had not been vaccinated against measles.   

Since the beginning of this year, measles outbreaks have reportedly been registered in seven regions of Russia, while measles epidemic has not been announced officially.  

The Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being (Rospotrebnadzor) attributes increase in the number of measles cases in the country to the virus brought from abroad.

Russian experts, however, consider that increase in the number of measles in Russia has also been caused by refusal of vaccines.   

Recall, twenty-three labor migrants, including two Tajik nationals, were hospitalized in Moscow on February 4 on suspicion of contracting measles last month.  All of them have worked for Ant-Apy Limited Liability Company (LLC). 

Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by the measles virus.  Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days.

There is a vaccine to protect against measles. The vaccine is given as part of a combination vaccine, called the MMR vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, and rubella.  The risk of death from measles is higher for adults and infants than for children.