GHS advises parents to support immunisation campaign against measles/rubella

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has advised parents to cooperate with health officials during the upcoming immunization programme against measles and rubella to protect their children from all forms of deformities associated with the two diseases.

A total number of 443,587 children between the ages of nine months and five years nationwide, are expected to be vaccinated from Wednesday, October 17 to Monday, October 22, 2018.

The children would also be giving Vitamin 'A' during the programme, which would be on the theme: 'Measles and Rubella Kill, Vaccinate Your Child Now for Good Life'.

Madam Nana Ama Asirifi, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Health Promotion Officer gave the advice in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani.

She said available statistics indicated that even though measles-rubella vaccination had increased, the disease continued to claim the lives of nearly 164,000 people worldwide yearly and therefore, urged mothers to take the exercise serious.

Mad. Asirifi assured that 'the vaccine is safe and effective' and urged parents to send their children who fall within the required age range to the nearest immunization posts during the exercise to be vaccinated to protect them from any kind of deformity.

She however, entreated mothers to quickly report any adverse reaction after the vaccination to the nearest health facility for further diagnosis and treatment of their children since measles and rubella were dangerous and all children were at risk of contracting them.

Mad. Asirifi mentioned skin rash, running nose, cough, red eyes and fever as the major signs of identifying children infected with the diseases, citing that, measles if not well-treated could develop complications such as brain damage, blindness, deafness, lung infection, sore in the mouth and diarrhoea.

GNA

By Regina Benneh Siaw/Sarah Ankamah-Yeboah, GNA