By Yang Ater Yang
Lakes State Ministry of Health, backed by World Health Organization, has launched measles and polio vaccination campaign.
The vaccination drive launched on Monday targeting over 36,000 children from 6 months to 59 months old, will last for seven days.
Awerial County Medical Director, Dr. James Manyiel Akup said campaign was initiated due to measles outbreak in Awerial County in the February, which resulted in over 15 reported cases without any death.
“Measles outbreak has become a big problem. The community of Awerial County should bring their children for measles and polio vaccination to any nearby vaccination center across the county,” he said.
Amot Michael Kuot, a State social mobilizer and Boma health initiatives coordinator in Awerial and Yirol East counties said the campaign is thriving.
He said his team of supervisors have been trained from Saturday to Sunday for the measles and polio vaccination campaign and are now dispatched to various locations to vaccinate all community children.
“We have started the vaccination process and there is already one of the teams that has so far managed to vaccinate around 120 children in Gut-Thom an area which is far reach area and we had to find a way to reach there.”
“Of course, we have a lot of cases of measles and polio, and there is a high demand from the community for a vaccine, and there is a high turnout for the community to get vaccines for their children,” he said
The vaccination drive is expected to end on Sunday.