Measles innoculation campaign targets 7.6 million children

Over 7.6 million Malagasy children will be inoculated against measles this month in the country's largest immunisation campaign. UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) information officer Misbah Sheik told IRIN the campaign would run until 8 October and reach the children through a "bottom-up" strategy to be rolled out in each of the country's 111 districts. "During the first phase, vaccination teams will immunise children in schools and crèches, in the second phase at health centres, and in the final phase through a mobile door-to-door strategy to ensure that no child has been left out," she explained. UNICEF said preparations for delivering the 10 million doses of measles vaccine and recruiting vaccinators kicked off six months ago. An estimated 7,000 vaccinators and 15,000 community workers will immunise all children between the ages of nine months and 14 years, many of them in rural areas. Vaccinated children under the age of five will also be given vitamin A capsules, while those under 14 years will receive deworming tablets to boost their immunity. More than US $7 million has been spent on the campaign, of which US $4.8 million was raised by UNICEF with the support of partners such as the UN Foundation, the Centres for Disease Control, the American Red Cross and the Canadian International Development Agency. "What is notable about the campaign, aside from the substantial monetary contributions, is the volunteerism of individuals, who come from all walks of life, including diverse religious groups, teachers, medical students, the army, private companies, local media and several NGOs," Sheik commented.