Sundaymail Editor
Online Reporter
Over 1,9 million children under the age of five were vaccinated against measles last year, according to the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
The accelerated measles vaccination programme was a response to an outbreak that occurred early last year but was successfully contained.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail Online, Ministry of Health and Child Care spokesperson Mr Donald Mujiri said: “Through the swift movement of the routine measles vaccination conducted across the country, the ministry managed to vaccinate above 85 percent of children under the age of five years.
“We are quite happy that with the increased number of children being vaccinated against measles, the data is not disaggregated by religion as immunisation services are provided regardless of religion.”
About 1 970 123 out of the targeted population of 2 292 898 children under the age of five were vaccinated last year.
The second phase of the programme will run between January 23 and February 3, 2023.
Under the second phase, the Government is targeting 673 198 children between five and 15 years in eight priority districts that reported high numbers of confirmed measles cases last year.
The “priority” districts are Chipinge (Manicaland), Chiredzi, Gutu, Bikita, Mwenezi (Masvingo), Mazowe (Mashonaland Central) and Chikomba and Goromonzi districts (Mashonaland East).
Online Reporter