University Takes Part in Immunization Campaign against Measles, Rubella and Polio

Al-Nasser University has taken part in the national campaign of immunization against measles, rubella and polio that was launched on November 9, 2014 in Sana’a and other governorates of Yemen.

The 10-day immunizing campaign targets about 11,000,600 children aged between 9 months and 15 years with the anti-measles and anti-rubella double vaccine.  In addition, about 4,488,630 children aged under 5 years are to be given anti-polio oral vaccine.

In Sana’a, Secretary General of the Local Council, Amin Juma’n, along with Dr. Abdul Majid El-Junaid, the Deputy Minister of Public Health and Population, inaugurated the campaign at Althawrah Hospital.

At the inauguration, Secretary General urged all parents to cooperate with the campaign and to bring their children to vaccination centers. He also called district directorates, secretaries of local councils and mayors to work on educating people of the campaign’s importance.

Mr. Juma’n appreciated the cooperation of Ministry of Health, international health organizations, and local authorities in implementing the campaign, pointing that about 1.28 million children and adolescents are targeted by the campaign at Sana’a per se.

On his part, Deputy Minister of Public Health talked about his hope that parents and guardians would be cooperative enough to bring their children to the fixed and mobile vaccination points.

He highlighted the importance of the concerted efforts to ensure having all children immunized, keeping Yemen free of polio, and the elimination of measles and rubella.

Dr. Osama Mure’i, Undersecretary of WHO – Yemen Office, and Iqbal Kabeer, Director of Nutrition Programs at UNICEF, pointed out that such an expanded immunization campaign against measles, rubella and polio diseases targets about half of Yemen’s population.

Dr. Ghada Shawqi Elhaboob, Director of the National Expanded Program for Immunization, commented: “The campaign is one of the program’s most important activities where vaccinations against measles, rubella and polio are combined in a single campaign.”She, besides, clarified how launching the campaign comes after the emergence of cases of measles and German measles over the past two years.  She confirmed that the campaign’s success will reduce the outspread and severity of such diseases in Yemen, meanwhile the constant anti- polio vaccination will keep Yemen free from the virus.