Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=124049
Lesotho-Health-Measles
Shortage of measles vaccine hinders Lesotho?s vaccination campaign
APA-Maseru (Lesotho) Shortage of measles vaccine in Lesotho has been singled out as the main cause for delay in completing a vaccination campaign in schools in the Botha-Bothe district, 124km north of the capital Maseru, APA learnt here Tuesday.
The Primary Health Care Nurse at Seboche Hospital, Mats?eliso Setoko, said the vaccination campaign against measles in the schools and villages have been suspended following the shortage of vaccine, not only at the hospital, but in all health centres across the country.
?The vaccine is available here but not enough to carry out the campaigns. We will only be able to help patients that come to the hospital,? she added.
She therefore urged parents to take their children to the nearest health centres for vaccinations, noting that even those children who do not have signs and symptoms of measles should be taken to health centres, as long as they are aged between nine months and 15 years, for vaccinations.
In February, a measles outbreak killed seven children in Quthing district, some 180 km south of the capital Maseru, where there were 76 suspected and 15 confirmed cases of the disease in the district.
Some 303 suspected cases were reported in nine districts across Lesotho with 38 of these having been confirmed.
MBR/nm/AP
Lesotho-Health-Measles
Shortage of measles vaccine hinders Lesotho?s vaccination campaign
APA-Maseru (Lesotho) Shortage of measles vaccine in Lesotho has been singled out as the main cause for delay in completing a vaccination campaign in schools in the Botha-Bothe district, 124km north of the capital Maseru, APA learnt here Tuesday.
The Primary Health Care Nurse at Seboche Hospital, Mats?eliso Setoko, said the vaccination campaign against measles in the schools and villages have been suspended following the shortage of vaccine, not only at the hospital, but in all health centres across the country.
?The vaccine is available here but not enough to carry out the campaigns. We will only be able to help patients that come to the hospital,? she added.
She therefore urged parents to take their children to the nearest health centres for vaccinations, noting that even those children who do not have signs and symptoms of measles should be taken to health centres, as long as they are aged between nine months and 15 years, for vaccinations.
In February, a measles outbreak killed seven children in Quthing district, some 180 km south of the capital Maseru, where there were 76 suspected and 15 confirmed cases of the disease in the district.
Some 303 suspected cases were reported in nine districts across Lesotho with 38 of these having been confirmed.
MBR/nm/AP