As of 23 October 2026, Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population is reported to be starting a free national campaign against measles and rubella on Sunday 25 October, for children aged 9 months to 10 years. This page gives who is covered, where the reports say it is given, what to ask the vaccination team, and what we could not confirm.
Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population announced a free national campaign to vaccinate children aged 9 months to 10 years, Egyptians and non-Egyptians, against measles and rubella, due to start on Sunday 25 October 2026, according to Al-Shorouk and Masrawy reports of its statements (read 23 October 2026).
This page sets out who is covered, when the campaign is reported to start, where the reports say the vaccine is given, and what to ask the vaccination team. It rests on press reports of the Ministry’s statements and on a Cairo Governorate portal item, because the home page of the Ministry’s site carried no item on the campaign when we looked (read 23 October 2026). It does not tell you whether your child should be vaccinated: the vaccination team decides that.
In short:
- Children aged 9 months to 10 years are covered, Egyptians and non-Egyptians living in Egypt, and the Ministry said the vaccine is free for both (Masrawy, 27 September 2026).
- The start date reported on 3 September 2026 was 1 October; Al-Shorouk’s report of the Ministry’s announcement on 19 October 2026 gives Sunday 25 October.
- The Ministry’s spokesperson said the campaign does not replace routine vaccinations (Masrawy, 3 September 2026).
- For the nearest vaccination point and its hours, ask your health office, your family medicine unit or the governorate’s health affairs directorate.
Last checked: 23 October 2026, on the pages listed under Sources. Dates and sites change, so confirm them locally before you go.
Who is covered by the measles and rubella vaccination campaign?
Masrawy reported on 27 September 2026 what the Ministry and its spokesperson, Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, said about the campaign. The table gives what that report says (read 23 October 2026).
| Item | What the report says | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Children covered | Aged 9 months to 10 years, Egyptians and non-Egyptians living in Egypt | Masrawy, 27 September 2026 |
| Number targeted | About 21 million children | Masrawy, 27 September 2026; the same figure is in the Cairo Governorate portal, 19 August 2026 |
| Cost | Free for Egyptians and non-Egyptians | Masrawy, 27 September 2026 |
| Vaccination points | More than 5,000 | Masrawy, 27 September 2026 |
Read on 23 October 2026. These are press reports of Ministry statements, not a Ministry page.
The reports do not say whether “10 years” includes a child who has turned 10. Ask the vaccination team.
When does the campaign start, and how long does it run?
Al-Shorouk reported on 19 October 2026 that the Ministry announced all governorates were ready for a campaign due to start on 25 October 2026, a Sunday (read 23 October 2026). The date has moved: on 3 September 2026 Masrawy reported the spokesperson as saying the campaign would start on 1 October (read 23 October 2026).
The South Sinai Health Directorate said on 22 October 2026 that the campaign lasts three weeks; the report gives no end date (Al-Shorouk, read 23 October 2026). Three weeks from 25 October is about 15 November, but that is our arithmetic, not an announcement. We found no end date on an official page, so ask your health office whether the campaign is still open.
Where do I take my child for the measles and rubella vaccine?
Masrawy’s report of 27 September 2026 lists these places where the vaccine is given (read 23 October 2026):
- health offices, health units and health centres;
- schools and Al-Azhar institutes, coordinated with the education authorities;
- nurseries and care homes;
- mobile medical teams that reach children in residential areas;
- fixed and outside sites set by each governorate’s health authorities.
The South Sinai Health Directorate named government and private schools and nurseries, health offices, family medicine units and centres, and fixed points in the governorate’s cities (Al-Shorouk, 22 October 2026, read 23 October 2026). That is one governorate’s list, so yours may differ.
To find the point for your child (our suggestions, not a Ministry procedure):
- Ask your child’s school or nursery whether a vaccination team is visiting.
- Ask the nearest health office or family medicine unit where the point is and its hours.
- If neither can say, ask the governorate’s health affairs directorate. Al-Shorouk’s report of the Ministry’s 19 October 2026 announcement describes coordination between the central supervision team and these directorates.
- Bring your child’s vaccination card, if you have one. No report we read lists papers the campaign requires. The card helps the team see earlier doses.
My child was already vaccinated: is the campaign for them too?
None of the reports we read says whether a child who has had measles or rubella doses is still offered the campaign dose. Ask the vaccination team, and show the card if you have it.
The spokesperson said the campaign does not replace routine vaccinations, and that the measles, rubella and mumps vaccine is already part of the routine children’s vaccination programme. He added that the campaign aims to strengthen community immunity and raise vaccination coverage (Masrawy, 3 September 2026, read 23 October 2026). Which dose your child needs next is for the vaccination team or your doctor.
What should I tell the vaccination team before the dose?
Ask the team what it needs to know. As an example of such a list, the NHS page on its MMR vaccine (reviewed 8 March 2024, read 23 October 2026) says the vaccine is not suitable for someone with a weakened immune system, whether from a health condition or from medicines that suppress the immune system, or for someone who has had a serious allergic reaction to an ingredient in the vaccine. It also says to speak to the GP surgery if a child has a temperature and is due the vaccine, because they may need to wait until they are feeling better. The page also lists pregnancy, which does not apply to the children this campaign covers.
That page describes the NHS vaccine, not the vaccine used in Egypt’s campaign. The vaccination team, and the leaflet of the vaccine your child is given, govern for your child.
The NHS lists these common side effects of its MMR vaccine: a raised, blotchy rash similar to a measles rash, feeling unwell and a high temperature around 7 to 11 days after the dose, and swollen glands and aching joints around 2 to 3 weeks after (same page). For questions after the dose, ask the vaccination team or your doctor. If you think it is an emergency, go to the nearest emergency department or call emergency services now.
For how patients put symptoms into their own words, see how patients describe symptoms.
Why is there a campaign now?
The spokesperson said the campaign is part of the effort to keep the health gains Egypt has made against measles and rubella, and that it aims to bring community immunity against measles to about 95% (Masrawy, 27 September 2026, read 23 October 2026). The report notes that it coincides with pupils returning to school, and refers to the World Health Organization’s announcement in November 2022 that Egypt had eliminated endemic transmission of both diseases. The Cairo Governorate portal describes the aim as preserving Egypt’s achievements in remaining free of measles and rubella (19 August 2026, read 23 October 2026).
The World Health Organization (WHO) says measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus, and that unvaccinated young children and pregnant persons are at highest risk of severe complications. It estimates 95,000 measles deaths in 2024, mostly among children under five. It recommends two doses, the first usually at 9 months in countries where measles is common (fact sheet, page dated 15 July 2026, read 23 October 2026).
These are global figures. They are not a count of cases in Egypt, and this page reports none.
In Egypt: who runs the campaign, and who do I ask?
The South Sinai Health Directorate said the Ministry provides central supervision and the directorate follows up in the field (Al-Shorouk, 22 October 2026). Al-Shorouk’s report of the Ministry’s announcement on 19 October 2026 describes continuous coordination between the central supervision team and the governorates’ health affairs directorates. A coordination meeting chaired by a deputy health minister discussed the plan, and the spokesperson said representatives of several ministries, government bodies, religious and community institutions and international organisations take part in the campaign (Cairo Governorate portal, 19 August 2026). All read on 23 October 2026.
For a site, its hours, or whether the campaign is still open where you live, ask your health office or your governorate’s health affairs directorate. This page has no local schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Who can get the measles and rubella vaccine in the campaign?
Children aged 9 months to 10 years, Egyptians and non-Egyptians living in Egypt, according to Masrawy’s report of the Ministry’s statements (27 September 2026, read 23 October 2026).
Is the measles and rubella campaign vaccine free in Egypt?
The Ministry said it is free for Egyptians and non-Egyptians (Masrawy, 27 September 2026), and the South Sinai Health Directorate said the same for its governorate (Al-Shorouk, 22 October 2026). Both read on 23 October 2026.
Where can I get my child vaccinated in the measles campaign?
According to Masrawy’s report (27 September 2026, read 23 October 2026): health offices, units and centres; schools and Al-Azhar institutes; nurseries and care homes; mobile medical teams; and fixed and outside sites set by each governorate. Ask your health office which one is nearest to you.
When does Egypt’s measles vaccination campaign start?
The Ministry announced it for Sunday 25 October 2026 (Al-Shorouk, 19 October 2026, read 23 October 2026). A local directorate said it lasts three weeks, and we found no end date on an official page.
Does the campaign replace the routine vaccination schedule?
No. The spokesperson said the campaign does not replace routine vaccinations (Masrawy, 3 September 2026, read 23 October 2026).
Medigize is a non-diagnostic navigation tool. This is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department.
Sources
- Al-Shorouk: the Ministry of Health and Population announces the governorates’ readiness for the measles and rubella vaccination campaign on 25 October (19 October 2026, in Arabic), read 23 October 2026
- Al-Shorouk: maximum readiness raised for the national measles and rubella vaccination campaign in South Sinai (22 October 2026, in Arabic), read 23 October 2026
- Masrawy: measles vaccination campaign, who is targeted and where can they get the vaccine? (27 September 2026, in Arabic), read 23 October 2026
- Masrawy: the Ministry reveals details of the measles and rubella vaccination campaign (3 September 2026, in Arabic), read 23 October 2026
- Cairo Governorate portal: Health Ministry prepares awareness campaign to preserve Egypt’s measles-free status (19 August 2026), read 23 October 2026
- Ministry of Health and Population: home page (no item on the campaign when read), read 23 October 2026
- World Health Organization: measles fact sheet (page dated 15 July 2026), read 23 October 2026
- NHS: MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine (page reviewed 8 March 2024), read 23 October 2026
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