Measles vaccination campaign kicks off in Kandahar

KANDAHAR (Pajhwok): More than 279,000 children will be immunized against measles in a campaign launched in southern Kandahar province on Sunday following an increase in children’s deaths from the deadly disease this year.

Officials say children will be vaccinated in Kandahar city and districts during the 10-day vaccination campaign.

Public health official Hizbullah Fitrat told Pajhwok Afghan that 648 teams will vaccinate children between the ages of nine months and five years during the campaign.

This year, he said, 1,500 cases of measles were recorded in Kandahar and six children died from the disease, showing an increase over last year’s deaths.

He said they registered 1,500 cases and six deaths this year and about 2,000 cases and four deaths were recorded in 2021, although exact figures were not available.

Fitrat said 500,000 children would be vaccinated against measles in the entire southern region as part of the campaign.

Deputy Director of Public Health Dr. Sayed Ahmad Shadab said campaigns against polio and measles were implemented without any problem in Kandahar.

He asked caregivers to fully cooperate with vaccinators for the health of their children to ensure all children were immunized.

“In the past, we would face some problems during vaccination campaigns, but now there is no problem,” he said, calling on people to allow vaccinators to give measles vaccine to their children aged nine months and five years.

Religious scholars also call on the people to cooperate with vaccinators and that the imams of mosques should also create awareness in this regard.

Religious scholar Maulvi Habibullah said: “All people and religious scholars should cooperate in vaccinating children and protecting them from the fatal disease.”

Health officials say around seven million children will be administered measles vaccine across the country.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 71,000 measles cases and 378 deaths were reported in Afghanistan in the last ten months.

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