Measles vaccination programme in limbo

LETTICIA MAGOMBO

Government has failed to implement its planned measles national supplementary vaccination programme in schools across the country, a situation which has left school children in limbo, Business Times can report.

The administration, through the Ministry of Health and Child Care, promised to vaccinate children between 6 and 15 years at the beginning of this term.

But,  well-placed sources at several schools across the country said government has failed to do so, as  the school terms comes to an end.

Measles so far has claimed the lives of more than 700 children in the country prompting the nation to give it emergency status.

In its 26th post Cabinet briefing, Information Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa told journalists that “all provinces have strengthened their measles outbreak response initiative.”

Contacted for a comment this week,  the Ministry of Health and Child Care spokesperson, Donald Mujiri, told Business Times that the campaigns were on-going across the country.

But, he did not comment on whether children were being vaccinated.

“The campaign is covering all districts and is ongoing,”Mujiri said.

To control the outbreak, the Ministry of Health and Child Care, with support from UNICEF, the World Health Organisation and other partners have embarked on a massive nationwide measles vaccination campaign targeting children.