By Yang Ater Yang
Authorities in Awerial county of Lakes State in collaboration with Purse Organizationlaunched cholera vaccination program.
The vaccination campaign is targeting 70,000 people and from age of 1 year and above in all the six (6) Payams and Mingkaman IDP camp.
The executive director of Awerial county Chol Cindut confirmed that the cholera vaccination program which started on Wednesday targets 5 -year old and above across the six payams of Awerial county.
“There were two suspected cases of cholera in that part of our border with Yirol East near the river Nile and the other case was in Buyung Payam and these two cases are being handled by the health” he said.
“The vaccination started this morning (Wednesday), health workers are now in the field, and it will take days according to the population that needs to be vaccinated in Awerial county” he said.
He said the cholera vaccination activity was welcome by the community in Awerial County without objection and resistance. “My message goes to all members of the community who are residents in Awerial county to follow the instructions from medical officers to meet all the vaccination centers and to be ready for vaccination” he said.
James Manyiel, the director of health in Awerial County said the cholera vaccination campaign targeted 70,000 people in six payams of Awerial County and with zero case.
“It is in the planning between Yirol East and Awerial counties and these counties were targeted for cholera vaccination” he said. “Yirol East and Awerial counties are alongside the river Nile and Unity State has reported cases of cholera”.
He said the cases of cholera are there in Unity State and we are supposed to complete this vaccination in September but flooding affected it.
“We don’t have cholera cases in Awerial, but what we are doing is prevention and this cholera vaccination will take 6 days and it will end on 21 of November” he said.
He said the vaccination campaign will cover the whole of Awerial County including Mingkaman IDP camp and it is targeting 1 up to 100 years of age.