MEASLES – IRAQ (04): INCREASING INCIDENCE, VACCINATION CAMPAIGN
A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Mon 8 Apr 2024
Source: The New Arab [in Arabic, summ. and trans. Mod.NS, edited]
https://bit.ly/3TSvfOl
The Iraqi health authorities announced a measles vaccination campaign
in the country, with over 9000 health teams operating to combat the
disease. They reassured the people that the vaccine is safe and
approved by the World Health Organization.
Hospitals across Iraq have recorded a significant increase in measles
cases in recent months. While the Iraqi Ministry of Health warned of
the spread of the disease, it attributed its causes to non-compliance
with the immunization process.
The Director General of the Public Health Sector in the Iraqi Ministry
of Health, Riyad Abdul Amir al-Halafi, explained that the campaign to
vaccinate children with the measles vaccine will be launched after Eid
al-Fitr [10-12 Apr 2024] and will include primary school and
kindergarten children. Al-Halafi stated that “the campaign targets
more than 23 000 schools with 7 million children.”
Al-Halafi added, “more than 9000 teams will be deployed in all
governorates, including the Kurdistan region of Iraq, in order to
implement the campaign,” noting that “the Council of Ministers has
allocated a special budget for the logistical work of this campaign.”
He continued, “the campaign will continue for 10 days and will be
comprehensive for all students in schools,” calling on satellite
channels to “cover and promote the campaign.”
In a related context, Dr. Muthanna Al-Zaidi, from Al-Kindi Teaching
Hospital in Baghdad, stressed the necessity of receiving the vaccine.
He said, “there are clear increases in measles infections in most of
Iraq’s governorates, as there are hospitals that record about 600
infections per month,” noting that “the ministry’s campaign is good,
and people must commit to the vaccine.”
Al-Zaidi added, “there is a need for awareness campaigns about the
dangers of the disease, and media institutions must cooperate with the
ministry to implement them,” noting that “diseases in Iraq spread
mostly due to a lack of awareness of their dangers and ways to avoid
them.”