Ghana Health Service to vaccinate 30,000 children against Measles, Rubella in Central Region

The Central Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) is expected to vaccinate more than 30,000 children between the ages of nine months and five years against Measles and Rubella from October 17 to 22.

Dr Kwaku Karikari, Deputy Regional Director in-charge of Public Health, made this known at the launch of the Regional measles-rubella vaccination campaign in Cape Coast on Wednesday.

The exercise would be carried out in all the 22 Districts of the Region, with the keen support from all stakeholders, particularly parents.

He said the campaign was in line with government's effort to curb measles and rubella infection that led to the death of children and also help achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) aimed at reducing death of children under five years.

Soliciting the support of all, he announced that the Region recorded 19 cases of measles-rubella in 2013 but had increased astronomically to 29 as of October 2018.

Measles vaccinations coverage also improved from 84 per cent in 2000 to 88-89 per cent in 2012 while reported cases of measles dropped from 140,000 in 1980 to about 12,000 in 2002.

Some 101 confirmed cases were recorded in 2009, which reduced to 36 in 2010 and again increased from 109 in 2011 to 330 in 2012.

According to Dr Karikari the twin diseases remained a threat to pregnant women and their foetuses, making rubella one of the leading causes of preventable congenital defects among children in the country.

Rubella is not the same as measles, though the two illnesses do share some characteristics, including the red rash however, rubella is caused by a different virus than measles, and is neither as infectious nor is it as severe as measles, Dr Karikari said.

Rubella a viral infectious human disease is transmitted either through large aerosol droplets from person to person or through placenta congenital rubella syndrome with an incubation period of 14 days.

It is also known as German measles or three-day measles caused by the rubella virus. This disease is often mild with half of people not realizing that they are infected. A rash may start around two weeks after exposure and last for three days.

Although Rubella had milder prodromal symptoms, when a pregnant woman contracts it, the unborn baby might be born with abnormalities known as congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) which could cause blindness, deafness, cataracts, heart defects, small heads, mental retardation, bone alterations, liver and spleen damage as well as diabetes and autism.

Measles on the on the other hand is a very contagious disease that can spread through contact with infected mucus and saliva of an infected person who can also release the infection into the air when they cough or sneeze.

The measles virus can live on surfaces for several hours.

He assured that the vaccines were safe and effective and had been in use for many years towards achieving measles free society across the world.

In a speech read on his behalf, Mr Kwamena Duncan, the Regional Minister, described measles-rubella as a major killer that ranked second to malaria in Ghana.

It accounted for about 7.3 percent deaths in children through illnesses and disabilities.

Vaccination, however contributed greatly to the reduction in Measles and Rubella with the classical measles cases reported in the 1970s, were now rarely seen.

He explained that, the supplementary immunization activities were an effective strategy for delivering vaccination to children and also increase vaccination equity.