The Ghana Health Service has begun an Integrated Measles Rubella and Vitamin A campaign from Wednesday, October 2 to Sunday, October 6, 2024. This campaign comes at a time 7 district and municipal assemblies are said to have recorded positive cases of measles with Bawku West and Garu recording outbreaks.
While Bawku West recorded 14, Garu had 4 positive cases.
At a media engagement before the commencement of the exercise on Wednesday, the Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. (MED) Samuel Kwame Boakye-Boateng noted that the campaign is a nationwide exercise to prevent any further spread.
The campaign is, therefore, targeting children between 9 months to 59 months to ensure full protection.
Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. It spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. It can cause severe disease, complications, and even death.
Measles can affect anyone but is most common in children.
Measles infects the respiratory tract and then spreads throughout the body. Symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose and a rash all over the body.
Being vaccinated is the best way to prevent getting sick with measles or spreading it to other people.
According to the Ghana Health Service, the vaccine is safe and helps the human body fight off the virus.
Dr. (Med) Boakye-Boateng therefore called on parents and all caregivers to ensure that children between 9 months and 59 months are appropriately vaccinated. He added that the campaign aims to address critical gaps with a target of 95% vaccine coverage.
“The 2024 Measles-Rubella (MR) Campaign aims to address critical gaps in immunization coverage in the country, targeting children aged 9-59 months. The campaign’s goal is to achieve 95% vaccination coverage, administer Vitamin A supplements to enhance nutritional status and increase community awareness through effective social mobilization. Against the above background, the country planned to conduct a Measles Rubella mass vaccination campaign which starts from 2nd – 6th October 2024 and targets persons between the ages of 9 months to 59 months.”
He assured the public of the safety of the vaccine. “Measles-Rubella mass vaccinations have been conducted for several years in Ghana and the Measles vaccine has been part of our routine vaccination since the National Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) commenced in 1978 with vaccines against the then six childhood killer diseases. It has therefore been shown to be very safe and important in preventing disease,” he stated.
