Kiev, Jan 16 (IANS) Ukraine Monday declared an outbreak of measles, with at least 883 cases of the infectious disease reported across the country so far.

Sergey Platov, a top official in the health ministry, however, said it was still too early to talk about the epidemic, according to Xinhua.

Platov told the press that alerts have been sounded in the country’s western and central regions as well as in the capital Kiev.

He urged people to be vaccinated against the disease immediately.

Measles is not usually life-threatening but can cause complications in people with a weak immune system and in pregnant women.