An international contingent of medical workers have started carrying out a mass measles vaccination programme today in Samoa amid the deadly epidemic.
Teams from Britain, United States, France, Australia and New Zealand are on the ground helping local authorities.
All roads, businesses and most government departments are closed in Samoa today as the vaccination campaign goes up a notch.
The mass vaccination programme is an effort to control the catastrophic measles epidemic that has gripped the small Pacific island nation.
The epidemic's death toll stands at 60, with most of the victims children. Thousands more are infected with the disease.
Red flags outside homes indicate to medical volunteers going door to door that the residents inside have not received the MMR vaccine.
1 NEWS Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver is on the ground in Apia. She says the island nation is desperately playing catch up.
"It's absolutely tragic and there's more to come, there are another 20 in intensive care.
"We are not there yet in terms of these cases climbing."
With public and private services closed and driving on the roads prohibited today and tomorrow it's hoped as many people as possible can be vaccinated.
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