CAMPAIGN AGAINST MEASLES

The government through the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation in conjunction with World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF today launched a nationwide five day measles campaign with an aim to counter measles which saw a 14 year old boy succumbed to the disease in Naivasha.

The campaign which targets children aged between 6 months to 5 years commenced in all counties across the country.

The Kiambu district hospital which was a vaccination center in the region received a good number of children who were availed for the vaccination by their parents and guardians who responded to the campaign through the initiative by the media.

This particular exercise by the government received a positive response from parents in the area because both parents could be seen trickling in the hospital to bring their children for the vaccination.

Speaking to one of the parents Mr. Samuel Mburu waweru a father of 4 said that the governments' effort was highly appreciated stating that the government acted immediately when there was an outbreak and commended the government for the job well done.

Mr. Waweru added that the responsibility of raising up children lies squarely to both parents and therefore parents should participate in the measles campaign and not just the mothers alone. He therefore challenged all fathers out there to join their spouses in taking their children for vaccination in health centres during the five period campaigns.

He asserted that the society will highly appreciate the fathers when they embrace the initiative by also accompanying their children for the vaccination.

Some mothers who brought their children for vaccination complained that the department did not carry out an effective awareness campaign as some people in the rural parts of the county were not aware of what was happening. They said they got to hear of the campaign from their neighbors; otherwise, they could never have vaccinated their children.

Mrs. Penina Gathoni who lives in Lower Kabete said that she got to hear of the vaccination campaign from a community health worker volunteer who was going door to door informing people about.

This she said was very wrong as she states that some parents who live in remote areas might never get to hear of the campaign because of lack of information.

She therefore challenged the government that in future they should start creating awareness of a particular campaign early enough for parents to organize themselves.

Speaking to KNA, District Medical Officer of Health, Kiambu East, Evelyn Mwania said turn-up was expected to reach 95% of the children during the one week exercise.

The vaccination is a free exercise, and more people who have not had their children taken for the doze have been called upon to take advantage of the exercise.

This year, the health personnel will not administer the vaccine while moving from house to house, but they shall offer the service from government and faith based health facilities.

Measles is a communicable disease and can be immunized/prevented/treated.

Measles if not treated could lead to blindness,death,diarrhea,ear infections(otitis -media)at times there's pus from the ears and also encephalitis which is dangerous swelling of the brain which can lead to brain damage.

Signs of this disease are fever at about 39 degrees Celsius, cold including coughing, possibly with a barking cough, reddish eyes and temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius.

Mrs.Mwania said that they were also supplying Vitamin A supplements to children between 6 months to 59 months.

She observed that mothers should bring their children to any public hospital and also some private hospitals that shall be offering the free services and also any health center and faith based facilities.

She told KNA that there has been an outbreak of measles following reports that people from Somali and Sudan who came to the country while suffering from the disease which spread to our local citizens and thus an immediate re-vaccination had to be carried out.

She added that the last campaign gave a total turn up of 85% and was expected to rise this time round.

She observed that at least 46 government facilities have come together to reach the vaccine to all and the hard to reach areas shall receive mobile vaccination.

She said that Kiambu District will be easy to carry out the vaccination due to the good infrastructure and thus the inner-rural areas could be easily reached.

ENDS