The Ghana Health Service has announced plans to conduct a nationwide immunization campaign for measles, targeting children aged nine months to 59 months. The immunization program will run from Wednesday, October 2 to Sunday, October 6, 2024. This initiative aims to protect children from measles and rubella, as well as provide essential vitamin A supplementation to support their overall health and well-being.
During a press conference in the Upper East Region on Monday, Dr. Samuel Boakye-Boateng, the Regional Director of Health Service, emphasized the importance of the program. He mentioned that the region had experienced measles outbreaks earlier in the year, with Bawku West and Garu Districts reporting cases, along with five other districts reporting a few instances.
Explaining the initiative, Dr Boakye-Boateng stated, “It’s a national exercise, a supplemental or supplementary immunization activity with the measles-rubella vaccine. It’s integrated because we are also adding vitamin A supplementation. This year we recorded outbreaks across the whole country, and in the Upper East region, two districts recorded outbreaks. An outbreak is defined as three or more cases, and that occurred in Bawku West and Garu. So that’s why we term it an outbreak and investigate it.”