ULAN BATOR, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia has registered 22 new cases of measles infection over the past 24 hours, bringing the national caseload to 13,989, according to the country's National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, 56 people remained in the hospital, including five critically ill children, the NCCD said in a statement.

On Dec. 30, the NCCD said Mongolia's measles death toll had reached 12 after one more related death was registered.

Therefore, the NCCD advised parents to protect their children from a potentially severe disease by getting them two doses of the measles vaccine.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease transmitted by respiratory droplets and direct contact.

Common complications include fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat and inflamed eyes. The disease can be prevented by immunization. ■