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THE Harare City Health Department measles vaccination blitz is lagging way behind in terms of targets.
The department has rolled out a measles vaccination campaign that is set to end tomorrow.
However, statistics on the ground tell a sad story.
This explains why City Health Department epidemiologist, Dr Michael Vere, is a worried man.
“We are facing some challenges that are hindering us from attaining the target that we had set ourselves,” he told H-Metro.
“Our target is 95 percent, but so far, we have only achieved 13 percent.
“Of course, this is not where we had hoped to be at this stage.
“Our target was also to have around 45 vehicles for the campaign, but unfortunately we only got 19 vehicles, from our internal resources and from partners.
“So, it is difficult for us to then navigate and go to places where we think there are high volumes of people.”
Vere said parents had a big role to play in the exercise.
“We urge parents and guardians to bring all six-months-to-five-year-old children, even those previously immunised.
“This increases immunity of all children and reduces the risk of vaccinated children getting measles.
“Not all children get the desired immune response, after receiving the first dose, and that is why during an outbreak it is recommended that all children, irrespective of their vaccination status, be vaccinated again.”
Dr Vere said they were happy with the parents’ responses to the vaccination blitz.
“We are quite happy that the community is responding positively to our vaccination call,” he said.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter