THE Yangon Region Public Health Department will launch a mass immunization campaign for German measles and measles in seven townships of Yangon Region from 17 to 28 February, according to a meeting held on 12 February at the Yangon Region Government’s meeting hall.
A total of 268 cases of measles were reported in Yangon Region between 1 January and 4 February. Of the 45 townships in Yangon Region, German measles and measles have affected seven townships — Hlinethaya, Insein, Shwepyitha, Mingaladon, Dagon Myothit (South), Dagon Myothit (East), and Dagon Myothit (Seikkan).
Therefore, the department will launch a mass immunization campaign to fight German measles and measles in the seven townships, and provide vaccinations to all children aged between ninteen months and 15 years old from 17 February.
Of the 268 cases of measles reported in Yangon, South Dagon Myothit Township reported the maximum number of cases at 32, followed by Shwepyithar Township with 28 cases, Insein Township with 21, Dagon Seikkan Township with 20, Hlinethaya Township with 16, Mingaladon Township with 7, and East Dagon Township with 6 cases, while the rest were from other townships where the number of cases is rather low compared with the seven townships. In 2018, 1,276 cases of measles were reported across the country.
A total of 646 cases were reported in Yangon Region alone, and 75 per cent of the patients were below 15 years of age, because the vaccine coverage is approximately 80 to 90 per cent of the population, and about 10 to 20 per cent of the children still have not received the vaccination at all or have incomplete immunization.
The department will also conduct an awareness campaign and distribute pamphlets in crowded public places like schools and markets. The symptoms of measles include fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat, inflamed eyes, tiny white spots with bluish-white centers, and a skin rash made up of large, flat blotches that often flow into one another. Myanmar has been conducting mass immunizations against measles and rubella since 2015.—GNLM (Translated by Hay Mar)
