The Togolese Ministry of Health launched, Monday, December 05, a national catch-up vaccination campaign against measles and rubella for children under 5 years old, indicates an official press release.
This campaign “strengthens the immunity of children aged 9 to 59 months, fully vaccinated and also helps to catch up with children who are insufficiently or not vaccinated. It is also an opportunity to administer vitamin A and albendazole, but also to routinely vaccinate children from 0 to 23 months and pregnant women”, according to the words of the Minister of Health, Professor Mustafa Mijiyawa.
The initiative comes in a context where “the national measles and rubella surveillance system is recording a resurgence of measles epidemic outbreaks with deaths”, explains the ministry.
Through the catch-up campaign, the authorities also aim to fight against epidemiological outbreaks of these diseases as well as their consequences, correct eyesight, and fight against intestinal worms in children.
Moustafa Mijiyawa invited people “to seize this free opportunity to supplement, deworm and immunize children in order to protect them”.
Vaccination, which will continue until December 11, takes place at traditional fixed points, but also at advanced posts deployed in markets and places of worship, with the aim of getting closer to the targets.
According to the ministry, the country has already organized two catch-up campaigns for the vaccination of children aged 9 months to 14 years, and three follow-up campaigns for children aged 9 to 59 months, during the period from 2001 to 2018.