This archive report was first published on 20 December 2019.
On December 20, 2019, Samoa was on the brink of a major milestone in its fight against the measles outbreak that had ravaged the island nation for weeks.
With a mass vaccination campaign underway, the country was poised to achieve a 95 percent vaccination rate, a threshold considered crucial for 'herd immunity' – effective protection from the spread of the disease.
However, the effort came too late for many. The epidemic had already claimed 77 lives, and at least 5,400 cases of measles had been reported among the population of 200,000, with the actual numbers likely higher.
Funeral homes, typically handling the elderly, were now preparing tiny coffins for the bodies of young children and babies, with many offering their services at no charge.
In the village of Faleasiu, the family of Valisa Talosaga, 2, held a heartbreaking burial, kissing and caressing her body before laying her to rest in front of their home.
Similarly, in Vailele, Timoteo Fuatogi, 29, wiped away tears as a pastor prayed over the open grave of his baby brother, who had died in a hospital after contracting measles from his twin brother.
