2006 immunization campaign would include vaccination against measles

Sekondi, Oct. 27, GNA 96 Vaccination against measles, distribution of free treated mosquito nets, education on malaria and hand washing would be included in the 2006 National Child Health Campaign vaccination against poliomyelitis and administering of Vitamin A Supplement. Dr Sylvester Anemana, Western Regional Director of Health Services, announced this at a press briefing on the campaign at Sekondi on Thursday.

The campaign begins on Wednesday November 1 to 5 under the theme "For Healthy Childhood. Let us Fight Measles, Poliomyelitis and Malaria".

He said vaccination against measles would be given to children from nine months to five years while vaccination against poliomyelitis would be administered to children from 0 to five years. Dr Anemana said Vitamin A supplement would be administered to children from six months to five years and 218,000 treated mosquito nets would be distributed to children under two years to be immunized in the region.

He said education on the causes and prevention of malaria, which was the major cause of morbidity, and mortality of children and the washing of hands with soap would be carried at all the immunization posts.

Dr Anemana said the region had been allocated two billion cedis for the campaign, which was being supported by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and all logistics for the campaign had been received.

Dr Anemana said trained health personnel and not volunteers would administer the vaccination against measles that was included in the campaign because it was eradicated after the 2002 mass measles immunization exercise but had re-surfaced.

Mr Peter Ofori Tweneboah, Western Regional Coordinator of Expanded Programme on Immunization, said 671,095 children were expected to be immunized against poliomyelitis, 570,431 to be vaccinated against measles, 603,986 to be administered with Vitamin A Supplement and 268,438 would be provided with treated mosquito nets. He said there had been seven confirmed cases of measles outbreak from January to September this year in the region and out of the number six were not immunized against the disease and one had "Unknown immunization status".

Mr Tweneboah said six of the children were between nine months and four years and the other between five and 14 years. He said these were confirmed cases of measles in the region since 2003 and there had not been confirmed cases of poliomyelitis in the region.

Mr Tweneboah said measles was dangerous and causes deaths while poliomyelitis causes deaths and made children to be come cripples. He said administering of Vitamin A Supplement would make the children strong and healthy and advised parents to ensure that their children slept under treated mosquito nets at night and washed their hands with soap before meals and after attending nature's call. Mr Tweneboah said 1,078 health workers, 3,359 volunteers and 135 supervisors would participate in the campaign in the region.