Polio Vaccination Targeting Millions Of Children in Myanmar

In an effort to reduce the under-five mortality rate, Myanmar is set to launch a nationwide immunization campaign this weekend, the health ministry announced.

The nationwide immunization campaign, scheduled for February 15 & 16, is expected to see 4.6 million children under five vaccinated against polio.

‘Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly contagious viral infection that can lead to paralysis, breathing problems, or even death but is preventable.’

In January, the vaccination campaign on 2.45 million children under five was initially conducted in 171 potential pandemic townships across the country, gaining a vaccination rate of 99.8 percent.

Myanmar has carried out such campaign for children under five since 1996 and was among all ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which were declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as polio-free in March 2014.

Source: IANS