Medicosnext
Nepal is set to embark on a nationwide measles-rubella vaccination campaign targeting approximately 5.7 million children aged nine months to 15 years. The vaccination drive is scheduled to commence on February 25 and will cover 75 districts across the country following the successful completion of the campaign in Jajarkot and Rukum West, the recent earthquake hit areas. Dr. Abhiyan Gautam, Chief of the Immunization Section at the Family Welfare Division, revealed that the campaign aims to vaccinate children in 24 high-risk districts, including 19 Terai region districts bordering India and three in the Kathmandu Valley. The measles-rubella vaccine will be administered to children between nine months to five years of age in 51 districts. Despite Nepal’s commitment to eliminate measles by 2023, the virus was reported in over 14 districts at the beginning of 2023, resulting in fatalities and hundreds of infections.
The government, in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunizations (GAVI), received 6 million 50 thousand doses of measles and rubella vaccines from the Serum Institute of India, with an additional 280,000 doses expected soon. Dr. Gautam affirmed that necessary vaccine doses are in place for the nationwide campaign. Officials from the Health Ministry outlined the integrated approach of the campaign, administering not only measles-rubella vaccines but also other crucial vaccines like pentavalent, pneumococcal conjugate, and inactivated poliovirus to children who missed routine doses. The government has extended the deadline for measles elimination to 2026, emphasizing the need for continued commitment to achieving disease control and prevention objectives.
