MSF targets 11,000 children for immunisation against measles

Spanish medical charity Medicos Sin Fronteras (MSF) begun on Thursday a three-day measles immunisation campaign, targeting 11,000 children in the town of Bozoum in northwestern Central African Republic, an official told IRIN. The immunisation drive follows several reported cases in the town, the MSF medical coordinator, Dr. Peguy Massamba, said. He said a vaccination team had been in Bozoum, 384 km from northwest of the capital, Bangui, since Monday. The MSF team informed parents of the importance of immunising their children aged nine months to 15 years, Massamba said. He said a MSF team that toured villages surrounding Bozoum had not found cases of measles. He added that the most affected area was the town centre. MSF reported the latest measles outbreak in the north on 12 October when its mission to Bozoum reported that 17 cases had been recorded in local hospitals since 25 August, with one death occurring. "We immediately carried out inquiries in some suburbs and found many other cases," Massamba said. He added that the outbreak followed the displacement of the people between October 2002 and March 2003, during the war between rebel and government troops that was mainly fought in the north. Despite the 15 March coup in which Francois Bozize ousted President Ange-Felix Patasse, many displaced people in the north remained in the bush until recently, due to insecurity. "The other reason [for the outbreak] is that the anti-measles immunisation coverage was not large enough," Massamba said. He added that before the war, the anti-measles vaccination rate in the country was below 19 percent. The MSF immunisation drive takes place as government health officials were said to be preparing to re-launch nationwide vaccination campaigns, which have not taken place since October 2002. To facilitate the government's operation, the International Committee of Red Cross has distributed 10 vaccine storage freezers to health facilities in the war-ravaged north. Hospitals in Bozoum resumed routine vaccination on 6 October.