A baby being vaccinated
About 453,765 children are expected to be covered during an immunization exercise against measles-rubella by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the Western Region.
The six-day nationwide exercise, which began yesterday and will end on Monday, October 22, is aimed at eliminating the childhood killer diseases.
It will target children from nine months to five years and will ensure that those who have never been vaccinated against the diseases will be covered, while the vaccinated ones will receive a booster.
Dr. Kofi Asemanyi-Mensah, Deputy Director, Public Health, GHS in the Western Region, explained during a press meeting that the health personnel and volunteers to be involved in the impending campaign will operate from both fixed and mobile points.
He stressed that the country has seen a lot of benefits since the vaccination exercise began in the 1990s, adding, “It is very encouraging that since 2003, no measles-related death has been recorded in Ghana. But we must strive to totally eliminate the disease.”
Some common symptoms of measles-rubella infections are fever, skin rash, runny nose, cough and red eye and that it could cause complications, including heart defects or hole-in-heart and a host of other conditions.
He indicated that oral vitamin A supplement, which helps to maintain healthy vision and ensures the normal functioning of the immune system, among other benefits, will be administered alongside the vaccination exercise.
Dr. Asemanyi-Mensah told the journalists that for Ghana to eliminate measles and rubella, at least 95 per cent of children must be vaccinated.
“However, about 100,000 children are missed annually during the routine vaccination, which is administered at nine months and repeated as a booster when they reached 18 months,” he revealed.
Dr Asemanyi-Mensah appealed to the media and other stakeholders to assist in making the campaign a success.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi