Measles, rubella immunisation takes off in Northern Region

The national immunisation against measles and rubella has taken off in the Northern Region with a call on parents and care-givers to take advantage to ensure that their children are vaccinated against the killer diseases.

Children aged between nine months to five years are to be immunised within a six-day period from October 17 to October 22.

Dr John Abenyeri, the Acting Northern Regional Director of Health Services, who briefed journalists about the measles and rubella immunisation campaign in Tamale, advised parents and care-givers to avail their children for the exercise to help in the elimination of the diseases in the Region.

Dr Abenyeri said health officers would visit communities to vaccinate children who fell within the targeted age bracket adding that parents and care-givers could also send their children to health facilities to be immunized.

He assured the public that the vaccine was safe and protected children against measles and rubella adding that any reaction experienced after vaccination should be reported to a health facility for treatment.

Madam Amina Seidu, the Chief Technical Officer on the Measles and Rubella Campaign, Ghana Health Service, said a total of 478,969 children, who fell within the targeted age bracket, were expected to be immunized as well as given vitamin A to make them strong and healthy.

Measles and rubella are dangerous diseases that have claimed the lives of many children for the past decades but for 15 years now the nation has made significant gains in controlling measles.

Source: GNA