About 5.3 million children under 5yrs would be immunized against measles -Rubella in an upcoming mass vaccination campaign scheduled for October 2- 6th following an outbreak of the disease across the country. These children aged 9months to 5yrs include some 600 thousand of them who had been missed since the last mop up exercise since 2018 and those due for their first and 2nd doses of the vaccine.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads through fluids from an infected person and vaccination is the most effective way to prevent its spread. In Ghana, babies are immunized against measles when they are nine months old and eligible for another dose when they reach 18 months. Although coverage of the measles rubella vaccination is quiet high in the country, the inability of government to get 100% coverage, resulted in some children under five being missed out during routine immunization each year.
Aside these cohorts of children who have been missed, a chunk number of children who received their first doses at 9months have defaulted in receiving their second doses which provides the maximum protection of the child against the killer disease. Healthcare workers are not oblivious of the dangers. Rebecca K. Avornyo, a Health Educator at the LEKMA Polyclinic said even when the mothers are called and reminded of their dates for routine immunization, they still don’t turn up and would be rushing over to the facility when they see rashes on their babies.
Already cases of measles are being reported in all districts across the country, raising concerns but mothers who play a critical role in making their babies available for the vaccines are failing in that regard. Mary Vigah a mother of a 9months old child whom we met at the LEKMA polyclinic says she would not miss her son’’s vaccination days for anything.
The program manager of the expanded program on immunization at the Ghana Health Service, Dr Kwame Amponsa- Achianno in an interview with 3news’ Sarah Apenkroh said they had predicted the situation of outbreaks hence the upcoming campaign to bridge the gaps. He also noted that the regions have already been trained for the exercise.
