Maseru, April 13 – Maseru District Health Management Team (DHMT) will roll out mass vaccination campaign against measles disease in Maseru district starting on Monday next week.
This, was revealed by Maseru Distract Medical Officer Dr. Moseme Makhele at the press conference held in Maseru on Thursday (today).
Dr. Makhele said the vaccination campaign, which is intended to cover 114, 000 Children follows measles outbreak at St Barnabas and Mantšebo whereby four children were diagnosed with this disease.
He indicated that when three children are diagnosed with measles within a month, this disease is considered an outbreak thus there is need to take action in order to prevent it.
“We will vaccinate in villages, schools and anywhere children are found,” he said.
He added that during the campaign, they will also check other diseases like mumps and provide medication such as Vitamin A and worms tablets.
Dr. Makhele further said they are working hand in hand with sister Ministries which include the Ministry of Education and Training, adding that public gatherings are underway in villages to sensitize parents about the importance of measles vaccination.
He said vaccination was rolled out at above mentioned areas (Mantšebo, St Barnabas) and other areas within the district saying they managed to cover 3200 children so far.
He said measles is infectious and transmitted through respiratory droplets and can take seven to 18 days, adding that it could lead to deafness and death.
He pointed out that its symptoms include a reddish-brown skin rash accompanied by runny nose, fever and cough amongst others.
He therefore called on parents to cooperate and allow their children to be vaccinated against this disease, saying immunization coverage against this disease is low and stands at 67 percent among children aged one year, six months instead of 90 percent.
He added that supplementary vaccination stands at 33 percent instead of at least 80 percent, emphasizing that children can be vaccinated five times against this disease from birth.
Meanwhile Measles outbreak was reported in the Free State Province, South Africa since February this year and the first case was reported in Maseru district, St Barnabas Health Centre on February 20.
The DHMT therefore advised health centres in the district to be on the look out and run tests if children have above mentioned symptoms and four children were diagnosed with this disease in the district.
The vaccination campaign will end on April 21.
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