The government has announced plans to roll out mass measles vaccinations in Hurungwe, Mashonaland West province after the disease killed 35 children recently.

Addressing the media during a post-cabinet briefing Information Minister Jenfan Muswere also said vaccination of children is mandatory and those who defy the law will be punished.

This comes against a background where some apostolic sects are against this, citing church doctrines.

"Cabinet wishes to advise the nation that following reports on social media that children were dying in Wards 22 and 4 of Hurungwe district in Mashonaland West, multi-disciplinary District, Provincial and National Response Teams visited the affected Communities to conduct investigations into the rumours.

"The teams established that 33 children who had passed on were from the Maronga, Magate and Shumba villages.

"Government will institute a mass vaccination campaign in Hurungwe District targeting all children in the affected areas.

"It is mandatory for all children to be vaccinated, attend school and receive medical attention.

"Government will take stern action against those that deliberately defy this policy," he warned.

The children who died from suspected measles and mumps recently in Hurungwe were all from apostolic religious sects.

Two families were reported to have lost seven children in a space of one month.

Another family also lost five children in the same space.

The tragic deaths only came to light when a member of the church brought four of his children to Karoi Hospital with two showing signs of measles and the other two mumps.

The affected are Wards 4 and 22 of Hurungwe RDC.

Some of the children who died were recorded from the Nduna household which lost seven children, Magara five children and Matashu, Chikonamombe, as well as the Kaitano family which lost two children each.