Zambia: The health stakeholders of Mongu District of Western Province are delighted with the pace of the Measles Rubella vaccination exercise. They have announced that the exercise targeting the children of different communities is progressing well.
The healthcare stakeholders all over the country have been engaged in the immunization effort for the children. Several provinces of Zambia are organizing simultaneous vaccination drives and call on parents to get their children vaccinated against Measles
Lewanika Urban Clinic Nurse In- Charge, Mulemba Libakeng’I shared the details of the ongoing vaccination exercise. She revealed that most of the parents are responding positively to the exercise and bring children under 5-years to the facility for vaccination.
Libakengí also highlighted that vaccination is available at the clinic in the district. Additionally, the facility is also conducting vaccination in the community in places such as Tungi, Harbor, Imbowa, Nebubela and Mukoko.
The aim of the gesture is to capture children for the travelers and traders in the markets who can get their children vaccinated at their convenience.
Nurse Libakengí revealed that the facility has so far covered about five percent of children in the district. The total population of children under the age of five is approximately 4000.
“The facility is busy with the exercise as the parents are bringing their children for vaccination starting from the first day when we started this programme.
“Yesterday we started our outreach in places such as the Harbor, Mukoko, Tungi and Imbowa to conduct the vaccination in order to capture children whose parents are in transit as well as the marketeers,” Libakeng’i said.
She asked parents in the district to cooperate with the health staff during this campaign. Thee vaccination campaign can help in preventing their children against measles. Nurse Libakeng’i urged those that are shunning away from the vaccination to stop as the exercise is good for the children’s health, adding that measles is dangerous in children hence the need to prevent it.
One of the parents, Matauka Mututwa, noted that the vaccination against measles is important as it prevents children from measles infections.
Mongu District launched the second round of the measles- rubella vaccination campaign on Monday, September 23, 2024 and the exercise is expected to end on Saturday, September 28, 2024.