Over 1 million children to be immunized in Eastern Region

Ms Helen Adjoa Ntoso, Eastern Regional Minister, has disclosed that an estimated 1, 177, 645 children between the ages of nine months and 14 years are expected to be immunized against measles and rubella in the region this year.

She said the 10- day exercise, which began on Wednesday, would cover every child within the age limit nationwide.

Ms Ntoso therefore appealed to parents and guardians to make their children available to be vaccinated against the disease.

The regional Minister made the disclosure at the Eastern Regional launch of this year’s campaign against measles and rubella at Oyoko, near Koforidua, in the New Juaben Municipality on Wednesday.

She said the campaign was in line with the government’s efforts to curb measles and rubella infection, which often ended up in the death of children.

Ms Ntoso maintained that the campaign would also help to curb the potential future outbreak of the two childhood killer diseases, adding that, for the past 10 years the region had not recorded any child death from measles due to the immunization exercise undertaken by government and its development partners.

The regional Minister assured that the vaccine was safe and effective and therefore urged parents not to be alarmed of any side effect after the immunization exercise.

The Eastern Regional Director of Health Services, Dr McDamien Dedzo, assured that every child in the region within the age limit would be vaccinated against the disease.

He appealed to volunteers and other staff recruited for the exercise to do a clean job in order to achieve the intended purpose.

Source: GNA