DURING the month of October 2019, measles and German measles vaccination and polio vaccination were given to children in 96 townships where transport was poor in states and regions of the country. During November this year, children between nine months and five and a half years were injected with measles and German measles vaccination in the remaining townships. So, the whole country will be free from measles and German measles in 2023 and wipe out the German measles infection some expectant mothers are facing. Awareness campaign of the supplementary vaccination program was conducted for three days between 26 and 28 November at the gathering points of villages and wards of townships in all states and regions including Yangon Region.
The essential need
Heath is an important sector for the developing human resources of the country. Hence, the government is implementing the task of wiping out the measles and German measles in the whole country to reduce the child mortality rate. So it is essential for parents to have their children injected with the vaccination during the said three days without fail. It is important to eliminate those highly infectious diseases.
Measles infection and deaths due to the disease can be found in the populous areas where vaccination program is weak, areas where transport is poor and accessibility of health workers is not possible, and towns where infection is caused mainly by migrants. Measles broke out in some states and regions in the form of an epidemic for 21 times in 2017. It also occurred in 2018. The government conducted the vaccination injection program between 25 and 29 October this year. During the previous November, it completed its vaccination program in the whole country.
The Ministry of Health and Sports has been conducted its extended vaccination program as a priority. It is giving 11 types of vaccinations to children under one and a half years under its regular vaccination program to reduce child mortality rate. It is planning to give vaccines against diarrhea and ovarian cancer. Poliovirus (WPV) was last found in Myanmar in 2017. After the government declared Myanmar a polio-free country in 2014, transformed type of poliovirus or vaccine-derived poliovirus was found in 2015 and on 23 June 2019. The child found with the virus is from Hpapon, Kayin State. Hence extra dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) was given with the aim of clearing the transformed type of poliovirus in 12 populated townships in Kayn State, Mon State and Bago Region where infection rate could be high.
The Ministry is giving regular anti- measles and German measles drugs for the first time to children when they reach nine months, and when they reach 18 months the vaccine is given for the second time. German measles is not a serious disease. But if it is infected to an expectant mother there is significant risk of miscarriage, child death and child defects such as disabilities, abnormal heart, cataract and deformation.
“It is an important moment. We will give an extra dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) against measles and German measles medicine in the whole country from 26 to 28 November. The vaccine will be administered to children between nine months and five and a half years. The vaccination program will cover 574,200 children between the said ages in Yangon Region, and the estimated cost is US$ 1.4 per child. Measles is a highly infectious disease. Measles may cause normal complications such as ear infections and diarrhea, and serious complications including pneumonia and encephalitis. Another one is German measles which may also cause pregnant women to give birth prematurely, or have a low-birth-weight baby or a baby with birth disabilities or defects. So people should be protected from both diseases as children who have had not the vaccine are vulnerable to both diseases. Any child who had not yet taken the vaccine is vulnerable to the disease. The vaccination program is conducted in Myanmar to reduce child deaths due to measles” said deputy director general Dr. Tun Myint of Health Department.
Prevention
There were 1389 measles patients in Myanmar in 2018 (according to the list approved by lab). Of them, 663 was in Yangon Region. In the early 2019, the number of people infected by the disease was 3265, and 1088 were from Yangon Region. Most of the infections were found in Hlaingthaya, Shwepyitha, Insein, Mingaladon, Dagom (East), Dagon (South) Dagon (Seikkan) townships and there were deaths also. As measles and German measles are infectious, the best prevention method is vaccination. As the measles is not spread through mosquitos, it is preventable through the vaccination program. The anti-measles and -German measles medicine should be given at the designated age, children need to take extra dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV).
According to a research conducted at 11 hospitals in Yangon, the rate of inborn German measles is 0.1 per one thousand. So, measles plus German measles vaccination program was launched in Myanmar in January 2015 and it lasted till February. The program was integrated into the regular national vaccination project in March 2016. After three years have passed, the program to provide extra dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) was conducted.
Inclusiveness
The ministry administered extra dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) against measles and -German measles to about 570,000 children between nine months and five and a half years from 26 to 28 November. In this way Myanmar can control the occurrence of measles and inborn German measles. The country has targeted to totally free itself from me asles and -German measles in 2023 as a part of its child mortality reduction program. Government departments, maternal and child care societies, NGOs, social organizations, local elders and health workers should make collective efforts to realize the target. (Translated by TMT)
