BY SAMIE WAIKORI
Auki
MALAITA Provincial Health is stepping up its measles and rubella campaign in response to outbreaks in neighbouring countries.
A two-day briefing was held for 22 health representatives from four regions of Malaita to roll out catch-up immunisation starting next week.
Coordinator of Expanded Programme on Immunisation of Kilu’ufi hospital, Mr Rockson Siliota said the catch-up campaign will be for children who are yet to get their measles and rubella vaccine.
He said this is due to low coverage data recorded on measles and rubella vaccination for the province since last year.
Siliota said one reason is the ministry of health has focused on covid-19 in the past two years.
Thus, he said the plan now is for the provincial health to step up campaign to counter the outbreak, although there is low risk for the country.
Siliota said even low risk and despite limited time the country has with regards to the threat of the outbreak, the provincial health planned to speed up the campaign to improve the coverage.
He said the provincial health will be visiting communities in the province starting next week and those who have children that are yet to get their measles rubella vaccine must do so.
Siliota said reach-out is not only for measles and rubella, thus for other important vaccines like polio and others that children might not take within the past two year.
He said the first doze of measles and rubella vaccine is facilitate for children when they are 12 months and second doze when they are 18 months.
Siliota said children who are within that range or above and yet to get their vaccines must help by their parents to get their vaccines and protected from the virus.
