Jose Ruales, minister of Public Health unfolded having covered three vaccines reached 95% of children under 12 years old, a target group made up of around 3.4 million people.

Ruales reiterated that immunization, which began in May, will be extended until August 31 in order to increase that figure.

Vaccines will be available at health centers free of charge, Ruales said. The minister further informed that Ecuador has had no cases of polio since 1990 and no cases of rubella and measles lately.

Immunization against these diseases is part of the basic vaccination schedule in Ecuador, and their scarcity in the public health system had provoked complaints from parents, local media referred.

In February, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an epidemiological alert warning about the possibility of measles outbreaks due to the reduction of vaccination in the region.

PAHO estimates that over 1.7 million infants in 28 countries and territories in the Americas did not receive the first dose of measles vaccine in their first year of life.

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