Measles outbreak hits Georgia

An outbreak of the measles has prompted the Georgian government to draft a provisional response to containing the disease.

The vaccination will be free of charge for all citizens of Georgia starting from this evening, Georgian Health Minister David Sergeenko said. 

Director of National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze has called on the public to ensure they are vaccinated to avoid contracting the disease.

"From the beginning of January, 312 cases of the disease have been identified," Agenda.ge cited Gamkrelidze as saying.

He urged the population to get vaccinated in order to prevent the number of cases of measles from growing further. 

Kakheti and Imereti have been the most affected by the outbreak, though measles has also been reported in Zugdidi and Adjara.