Regina Benneh Siaw/Sarah Ankamah-Yeboah, GNA
Sunyani, Oct 14, GNA –
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has advised parents to cooperate with health
officials during the upcoming immunization programme against measles and
rubella to protect their children from all forms of deformities associated with
the two diseases.
A total number of
443,587 children between the ages of nine months and five years nationwide, are
expected to be vaccinated from Wednesday, October 17 to Monday, October 22,
2018.
The children would
also be giving Vitamin ‘A’ during the programme, which would be on the theme:
“Measles and Rubella Kill, Vaccinate Your Child Now for Good Life”.
Madam Nana Ama
Asirifi, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Health Promotion Officer gave the advice in
an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani.
She said available
statistics indicated that even though measles-rubella vaccination had
increased, the disease continued to claim the lives of nearly 164,000 people
worldwide yearly and therefore, urged mothers to take the exercise serious.
Mad. Asirifi assured
that “the vaccine is safe and effective” and urged parents to send their
children who fall within the required age range to the nearest immunization
posts during the exercise to be vaccinated to protect them from any kind of
deformity.
She however, entreated
mothers to quickly report any adverse reaction after the vaccination to the
nearest health facility for further diagnosis and treatment of their children
since measles and rubella were dangerous and all children were at risk of
contracting them.
Mad. Asirifi mentioned
skin rash, running nose, cough, red eyes and fever as the major signs of
identifying children infected with the diseases, citing that, measles if not
well-treated could develop complications such as brain damage, blindness,
deafness, lung infection, sore in the mouth and diarrhoea.
GNA