Tanzania distributes measles vaccinations in Zanzibar

Tanzania will begin distributing measles vaccinations in Zanzibar today.

Zanzibar’s Ministry of Health has instituted the measure in an attempt to halt soaring case counts. Although Tanzania previously experienced another measles outbreak earlier this year, East African countries have seen an unprecedented momentum of measles and Ebola cases, which are presumed to have begun in early June. The Tanzanian government’s efforts are mainly geared towards protecting Zanzibar, the country’s economic hub and a major center of tourism.

During the short-to medium term, expect Tanzania to use testing and vaccination programs, alongside other measures, to control the outbreak. While the government’s large-scale vaccination program will deliver promising results for a moment, if positive cases continue to increase moving forward Tanzania could possibly take more serious measures. This could see the country imposing strict lockdown procedures and quarantine rules to curb the outbreak. However, this would inevitably impact Tanzania’s gross income during the long-term. This is because a potential lockdown followed by a border closure will handicap the tourism industry, the country’s main source of foreign capital flow.