An outbreak of measles has been confirmed in two schools located in Akpabuyo local government areas of Cross River state, Nigeria.

The affected schools are Navy Secondary School and Penniel Primary School.

Dr. Henry Ayuk, the state commissioner for health, disclosed the outbreak and mentioned that the State Rapid Response Team had been deployed to the affected area.

Reactive vaccination for children is ongoing in the affected areas and other local government areas without reported cases.

He also said the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency is intensifying routine immunization to enhance herd immunity.

According to him, due to the outbreak, the management of the Nigeria Navy School has closed down the school and directed parents to pick up their children from the boarding facility immediately.

Parents received a message from the school informing them of the closure and the need to collect their children.

The Chairman of the Parents Teachers Association in the School, Okon Bassey, confirmed to The Nation that they received the closure message but mentioned that he was yet to get through to the school management for further details.

He expressed trust in the school management’s decision, emphasizing that he had yet to ascertain the actual situation necessitating the closure.

Measles is a highly contagious infection, especially among non-immunized children.