Samoa's measles epidemic has claimed the lives of 32 people, a sharp increase on a day ago. Since yesterday, 243 cases of the disease have been recorded, with 176 people currently in hospital. Meanwhile, the government said 24,000 people had been immunised in a compulsory mass vaccination campaign launched under a state of emergency. Yesterday, an investigation was launched after 6000 vaccines had to be destroyed because they were incorrectly stored at an unauthorised private clinic. A ban on under-19s travelling between the islands of Upolu and Savai'i has been lifted.

Source: Otago Daily Times November 25, 2019 22:07 UTC