By Andrea Hargraves 
The state records 80% of disease cases in the country
The Amapa government has confirmed the death of two children from measles, one in the capital Macapa and the other in the municipality of Pedra Branca do Amabare. Measles deaths have not occurred in the state for at least two decades.
In both cases, the children were not vaccinated, vaccination only started at 6 months of age and the children were younger when they contracted the disease. The diagnoses were confirmed by the Osvaldo Cruz Foundation in Rio de Janeiro.
The case took place in the state capital on March 28. The child from Pedra Branca do Amabari was an indigenous person and lived in a village.
Between January and May, Amapa recorded 320 cases of measles. The state is responsible for 80% of cases in the country in 2021. The state government says it has an action plan to combat outbreaks in municipalities. The main fronts for action are strengthening surveillance, public awareness campaigns and vaccination promotion.
According to the government, despite the vaccination measures that have served more than 50,000 people, the immunization rate for the population is low, especially given the outbreak. In these cases, the Ministry of Health called for the application of three doses: a dose between 6 and 11 months, another at 12 months, and a third at the age of 15 months.
Brazil
According to the Ministry of Health Epidemiological Bulletin 12 on the measles epidemiological situation in Brazil, 8,448 cases of the disease were recorded in 2020. In 2020, the country recorded ten deaths due to measles. In 2021 and up to Epidemiological Week (SE), 318 measles cases were recorded in three states, Amapa, Para and Sao Paulo.
Brazil was certified as a measles-free country in 2016, but lost the title in 2019.