Nationwide MCV2 Launch Strengthens Immunity
South Sudan formally introduced the second dose of the Measles-Containing Vaccine, MCV2, into its routine schedule on 12 August 2025. The step positions the nation as the 45th in Africa to adopt the two-shot regimen recommended by the World Health Organization.
Health Minister Sarah Cleto highlighted the stakes, noting that nearly nine in ten counties remain at high risk for outbreaks. “Adding MCV2 significantly fortifies our children’s defences,” she told reporters, pledging fixed-post, outreach and mobile services to push coverage.
Recurrent Outbreaks Underscore Urgency
A 2025 risk assessment showed low routine coverage and surveillance gaps fueling repeated measles flare-ups. Although an April follow-up campaign reached 85 percent of targeted children, only 38 percent of counties hit the critical 95 percent threshold required to halt transmission.
Cold Chain, Training and Data Upgrades
The Ministry of Health, Gavi, WHO and UNICEF are expanding solar-powered refrigerators, retraining vaccinators and digitising registries to ensure each vial is potent and every dose recorded. Dr Humphrey Karamagi of WHO called the rollout “a milestone in vaccine-preventable disease control.”
Reaching Marginalised and Mobile Families
An estimated 567,065 children aged nine and eighteen months are eligible for MCV2 across 80 counties. Mobile teams will track nomadic groups, displaced families, returnees and flood-isolated villages, aiming to minimise drop-outs between the first and second injections. UNICEF’s Noala Skinner urged parents to complete both doses.
Toward Measles Elimination by 2030
Measles still ranks among the most contagious and lethal childhood illnesses. Officials believe a robust two-dose programme, sustained financing and community engagement can align South Sudan with the global goal of elimination by the decade’s end, turning repeated emergencies into a preventable footnote of history.