The World Health Organization and UNICEF have offered their support to Myanmar’s Ministry of Health as it launches its polio vaccination campaign throughout 102 townships across the nation.
The goal is to vaccinate 1.4 million children who are 5 years old and younger. They also hope to target 15 high-risk townships in
Ayeyarwady, Bago, Chin, Magway and
Rakhine.
Previously, there were two polio virus cases that were detected. The two patients were children who lived in Maungdaw Township in Rakhine state. Scientists found these cases were derived from the vaccines. These kinds of cases will occur more frequently as time goes on because the state has low vaccination coverage, estimated at 80 percent; in 2014, certain townships had only 27
percent
of their children receive the oral polio vaccine with all three doses.
The initial three rounds of this polio vaccination campaign will be conducted from Dec. 5-7, Dec. 26-28, and Jan. 16-18. Another two phases of the vaccination will take place from January to February and will involve an additional 87 townships in Myanmar.
Health professionals maintain that the best way to stop the polio virus is to improve children’s immunity by improving the routine vaccination coverage.
