Thousands immunised against meningitis, measles

Some 16,462 people have been vaccinated against meningitis and 1,544 children against measles in a campaign carried out by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and the Central African Republic (CAR) Ministry of Health, an official told IRIN. MSF coordinator Carlos Recio said the immunisation campaign against meningitis "A" in the northwestern sub-prefecture of Boguila was conducted in collaboration with the UN World Health Organization. The immunisation followed the detection of 53 cases of meningitis in the area, which included three deaths, Recio said. He said health officials discovered a measles outbreak in Boguila during the meningitis immunisation campaign. "The team came across an outbreak of measles by chance on the Boguila-Markounda road," Recio said. He added that 134 cases of measles, including three deaths, were detected, with the village of Bandio, 27 km from Boguila being the most affected with 86 cases. "We immunised 1,544 children aged up to 15 years against measles," he said. He said an MSF team and local health officials in Boguila were monitoring the measles outbreak, pending the arrival of the rainy season when the risk of a meningitis outbreak would decrease. Recio also said that only part of the population of Boguila was vaccinated because several people were displaced during the October 2002 to 15 March 2003 rebellion in the northwest of the country. MSF conducted another immunisation drive against meningitis and measles in Boguila in April.