Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Homs, SANA Health Ministry will launch tomorrow Sunday a national 12-day anti-measles vaccination campaign, in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The campaign will target about 2,670,937 children. Providing the anti-measles vaccines will be done through mobile medical teams and at health centers and makeshift residential centers, which host families displaced from their home areas due to terrorist acts.
The campaign, which will run through April 30th, coincides with a catch-up immunization schedule for children who have missed routine vaccinations.
A total of 5916 health workers will be employed for the vaccination campaign.
Head of the Healthcare Department of Homs Health Directorate Abdul-Mu’min Qashlaq told SANA that children between 7 months and 1 years of age will be given Vitamin A besides the anti- measles vaccine, while children aged between 1 and 5 years will be given the MMR vaccine in addition to Vitamin A.
During the campaign, routine vaccines will be given to children under 5 who have missed them earlier.
In 2014, 594 measles cases were registered in Syria, in addition to 5 rubella cases, according to the statistics of the Health Ministry.
Measles is a highly infectious illness caused by a virus. The virus lives in the mucus in the nose and throat of people with this infection. Physical contact, coughing and sneezing can spread the infection.
The most common symptoms of measles are high temperature (fever), sore eyes (conjunctivitis) and a runny nose usually occurs first. Small white spots usually develop inside the mouth a day or so later. These symptoms can persist for several days.
H. Zain/ H. Said
