El Salvador and Guatemala measles outbreaks prompt vaccination drives

El Salvador reported a total of 47 confirmed measles cases, all classified as imported, between 4 January and 4 July 2026. The highest weekly activity occurred in epidemiological week 25 with 12 infections and week 26 with eight. Cases were concentrated among young adults and school‑age children, primarily in the departments of San Salvador, San Miguel, Santa Ana, La Libertad, Ahuachapán, San Vicente and Usulután. The Ministry of Health has urged parents to vaccinate children, launching special campaigns for infants aged 6–11 months and reinforcing the routine 12‑ and 18‑month schedules.

In Guatemala, health officials recorded 27 145 laboratory‑confirmed measles cases and 26 deaths, a case‑fatality rate of 0.10 %. Over 1.469 million vaccine doses have been administered, with an additional two‑million‑dose shipment expected to sustain house‑to‑house and community‑based immunisation efforts. The outbreak, the largest since 1997, was linked to a mass religious gathering in December 2025 and remains most intense in the capital region and the departments of Quetzaltenango, Sololá, Izabal and Totonicapán. Authorities are reinforcing vaccine reserves and expanding outreach to curb further transmission.