YENAGOA
In a bid to curb the spread of measles among children, parents in Bayelsa State have been advised to immunize their children and wards between the ages of nine months and five years against the deadly measles disease.
Chairman, Association of Public Health Physicians, Bayelsa State chapter, Wisdom Sawyer, made the call while speaking at a one-day media orientation forum held in Yenagoa on Wednesday 27 January 2016 for the promotion of the state-wide campaign against measles.
Sawyer said measles disease, which is caused by a minute virus that is not visible, is preventable and treatable, adding that it is endemic and kills thousands of children annually.
He explained that the disease is airborne and can also be contracted through droplets and bodily contact.
Sawyer listed low nutrition, poor hygiene and insufficient immunization as some of the “host factors” that can predispose children to the infection.
The Public health officer stated that high fever, redness of the eyes, running nose and rashes on the body are some of the signs of measles that an infected child shows.
He stated that measles is dangerous as it can make victims susceptible to other infectious diseases including tuberculosis, stressing that the disease reduces a child’s ability to fight other diseases.
The public health expert noted that the vaccination exercise would be health-facility based and would be carried out by teams of ad hoc health personnel in the various communities of the eight local government areas of the state.
“To be fully protected against measles, it is important that children, at least nine months to five years of age, are vaccinated at least twice with the measles vaccine.
“Vaccines are safe, free and will not harm your children”, he assured.
While advising that victims of measles should be isolated from the populace, Sawyer urged parents and stakeholders to ensure active immunization of children, health education, proper hygiene and sanitation and avoidance of over-crowding.
The immunization exercise was slated for Thursday 28 January 2016 across the 17 states in the Southern part of the country.The last measles campaign was held in 2013
