The three-week ‘Measles-Rubella Campaign-2020’ is going to begin across the country on Wednesday (March 18). The campaign will end on April 11. A total 3.40 crore children aged between nine months to 10 years will be vaccinated across the country to prevent measles and control rubella.
The vaccination centre will remain open from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm every day except weekly and government holidays. Preparatory meeting, press conference and other programmes were held in different districts on Sunday to make the vaccination campaign a success. The speakers at the programmes said that vaccination is vital for saving lives of children. So all concerned should discharge their duties with utmost sincerity and honesty to enhance awareness among the public to ensure vaccination to cent percent children. Our correspondents sent new items on the issue.
In Rajshahi, the Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) authorities held a press conference at RCC’s conference room to make the forthcoming measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign a success.
Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) and Directorate General of Health Services supported the media conference discussing and devising ways and means on how to make the campaign a total success collectively.
RCC’s Panel Mayors Shariful Islam Babu and Nuruzzaman Tuku, Secretary Abu Hayat Rahmatullah and Chief Health Officer Dr AFM Anjuman Ara Begum addressed the press conference.
They informed that the city corporation has set a target to bring around 92,154 babies in 547 schools from nine months to 10 years of age under measles-rubella vaccination campaign to protect them from various diseases. A total of 300 workers will be deployed to conduct the campaign in 102 centres including 60 temporary and 30 permanent ones.
Dr AFM Anjuman Ara Begum illustrated the aspects besides giving an overview of the campaign in her multimedia presentation. She underscored the need for raising public awareness to ensure immunization to hundred percent children to protect them from various diseases.
She said that each of the children would be vaccinated with one dose of MR vaccine irrespective of their previous vaccination status. The mass vaccination is expected to have an impact to eliminate measles and control rubella.
In Khulna, over five lakh babies will be brought under MR Vaccination Campaign in the district. Civil Surgeon of Khulna Dr Sujat Ahmed informed this at a press conference, reports our Khulna Correspondent.
According to his information, a total of 3,33,000 babies from nine months to 10 years will be vaccinated at 18,059 schools at nine upazilas in the district, while 1,85,000 children will be vaccinated at over 500 schools under 31 wards in Khulna city.
Dr Sujat Ahmed called upon the journalists to extend their wholehearted cooperation so that the measles-rubella vaccination campaign can be successful to save children’s lives.
Medical Officer Dr Sheikh Sadia Monwara, Dr Palash Ghosh, Surveillance Medical Officer of the Immunization and Vaccine Development Programme of WHO at the Civil Surgeon Office Dr Sayed Ahsan and general secretary of Khulna Press Club Md Mamun Reza also spoke at the press conference.
Dr Sayed Ahsan termed measles as one of the most infectious human diseases and put importance on enhancing public awareness to ensure vaccination to cent percent children.
“Rubella infection among women, especially among pregnant mothers, may pass the virus to fetus resulting in miscarriage or congenital defects those might cause cataracts, glaucoma and congenital heart disease to the newborns,” he said.
In Bandarban, two prevent the outbreak of measles and rubella, a total of 1, 17,000 children will be given MR Vaccination at the time. Civil Surgeon of Bandarban Dr Ongsui Prung said this at a press conference at his office on Sunday, reports our Bandarban Correspondent
Mong Ting Cro, Deputy Civil Surgeon of Bandarban and Dr Md Alamgir, Medical Officer, Dr Md Subbir Rahman were also present at the time.
The Civil Surgeon said that they have already trained seven team in each upazila to conduct the vaccination programme. He said that measles is one of the most infectious human diseases and can cause serious illness including death.
However, rubella infection among women, especially during early three months of pregnancy, has 90 percent chance to pass the virus to fetus resulting in miscarriage, fetal death, or congenital defects known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). The defects include cataracts, glaucoma and congenital heart disease, she added.
