A public nurse at the Municipal Health Directorate of EKMA, Mrs. Charlotte Baffour Awuah has highlighted the complications of Measles-rubella children suffer if parents and caregivers refuse to vaccinate them.
Addressing the media in a press briefing on the National Measles-rubella and Vitamin A campaign, Mrs. Awuah underscored that measles, when not prevented can lead to complications in the lives of children.
It can cause a permanent total change in a child’s life because it can make the child suffer dreadful diseases such as brain damage, blindness, deafness, and others.
This she said to let the parents know what is at stake should they refuse to vaccinate their children to immunize them.
” When your child gets measles and he or she does not get health care, it can be complicated leading to the child suffering from brain damage, lung infection, pneumonia, blindness and sores on the mouth. So your child can even suffer deafness from measles.
To prevent measles, we urge parents to avail their children to be immunized” she said.
Mrs. Awuah further asked all parents and caregivers to make their children available for the vaccination. The vaccination campaign will commence tomorrow Wednesday, October 2, 2024, to Sunday, October 6, 2024, at all places and health care centers. Health personnel will also move from house to house to vaccinate all children between ages 9 months to almost 5 years old.
She said the vaccine is safe and won’t cause harm to children, also and vitamin A supplements will be added. Children who get vaccinated will be marked with indelible ink on the middle figure.
“So we are coming to all churches, mosques, schools, marketplaces, wherever there are caregivers to undertake the vaccination campaign and we entreat all parents and caregivers to avail their children between the age of 9 months to 59 months (under 5 years) to be vaccinated and also be given vitamin A supplements in a form of drops in their mouth”. She urged.
She went on again to state why there is a need for this vaccine campaign of which she stated that recently the district has recorded one positive case of measles. Since it is a viral disease, it can be called an outbreak. Thus, there is a need to vaccinate all children or at least up to 95 per cent of the children in the district to keep them immunized against measles. She also talked about the symptoms of measles so parents will be abreast of the disease.
“This campaign is for the whole region of which EKMA is also part. Measles is a viral disease. Your child has measles with these signs and symptoms: fever, skin rash, running nose, conjunctivitis, and cough. Your child’s eye may be itchy and may have diarrhoea, and high temperature,”
So if your child is suffering from these things it means your child may be suffering from measles but it is not until tested for and proven positive. So we are always on the ground doing surveillance so we can be able to identify the suspected ones to be tested. As of now, EKMA has recorded one case out of the many suspected cases from all our healthcare places.” She explained.
Author: Bernice Mensah
