Panama was certified as a country free of measles and congenital rubella syndrome by the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization (WHO/PAHO), an official said.

Panamanian Health Minister Francisco Javier Terrientes received certification from Federico Hernandez, representative of WHO/PAHO Panama, that the Central American country is free of measles, the Health Ministry said.

Panama was one of the first countries in the Americas to introduce anti-measles vaccination as one of the measures to control the measles virus and congenital rubella syndrome.

Since 1984 to date, more than 7 million doses of anti-measles vaccine have been administered to the Panamanian population estimated at 3.9 million.

There have been three “widespread epidemics” in Panama of these diseases: 1981-1982, 1985-1986, and 1992-1993, according to the Health Ministry.

The ministry noted that it will continue to strengthen its current vaccination system, “one of the best in the region that up to now has eradicated several diseases from national territory.” EFE