National immunisations progressing smoothly

The 2000 National Immunisation Days (NIDs) which started last Friday in the DRC is progressing well, a UNICEF official in Nairobi confirmed to IRIN on Tuesday. "Everything is going on well, although there were delays in some areas because of logistics problems," he said. "For this reason, the days have been extended to the end of this week," he noted. This is the first round of polio immunisation and is scheduled to cover some 10 million children under five years of age. He said initial results from Kinshasa had shown a coverage of some 87 per cent of the population. "Those carrying out the exercise are pretty happy because funds were available so they chartered planes and this has enabled them to reach areas which were not reached in the previous campaigns such as northern Equateur," he said. The second phase of the NIDs will take place on 11-14 August where polio and Vitamin A vaccines will be administered. The third phase will take place from 15-17 September. Polio and measles vaccines in endemic areas will be given. The campaign was organised by UNICEF, WHO, the NGO Basic Support for Institutionalising Child Survival (BASICS), the Rotary and the DRC government.