More than half a million children are being targeted in an emergency vaccination drive in Nepal – as fears grow of measles outbreaks in the informal camps that have sprung up since the earthquake on 25 April.
The campaign was launched by the Nepalese Ministry of Health and Population, with support from UNICEF and the World Health Organisation.
Lack of shelter and sanitation are huge risk factors for disease – as the number of people who have fled their homes continues to grow, with many people now living next to their damaged houses.
According to figures available before the earthquake struck, around one in 10 children in Nepal is not vaccinated against measles.
“Measles is very contagious, and can potentially be deadly, and we fear it could spread very quickly in the often crowded conditions in the improvised camps where many children are living,” says UNICEF’s Representative in Nepal, Tomoo Hozumi.
“We have been working for decades to eliminate measles in Nepal. Unless we act now, there is a real risk of it re-emerging as a major threat for children – a setback for all of our collective efforts.”
In the first wave of the emergency response, teams are working to immunize children under the age of five in informal settlements in the three densely populated districts in Kathmandu Valley – Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and Lalitpur. The drive will continue in the coming weeks in the 12 districts worst-hit by the earthquake.
“We are working with partners to take urgent practical steps to mobilize tens of thousands of vaccines, as well as the cold chain facilities needed to store them at the right temperature and keep them effective,” says Tomoo Hozumi.
“We are doing everything possible to minimize the danger for children who have already been through so much.”
Related: Health authorities mobilize to prevent cholera spread in Nepal
Nepal earthquake: Cholera, mosquito borne diseases may spread with upcoming monsoon season
One thought on “Nepal: Fear of measles outbreak prompts emergency vaccination campaign”