Measles vaccination

“If your child is aged between one and five years old and has not had the measles vaccine, he or she should receive the measles vaccine as soon as possible to protect him or her,” said Shefa Public Health Manager, Obed Manwo.

In South Efate, Shefa Provincial Health Office is delivering the measles routine vaccination through its Mother and Child Health (MCH) Unit and health facilities in Pango, Mele and Erakor.

The Mother and Child Health Unit, also known as MCH, is open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8am to 12pm and from 1pm to 4pm.

In response to the increased threat of measles in the Pacific, with outbreaks currently in New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and Australia, the Ministry of Health is taking extra precautions to reduce the risk for Vanuatu.

The Ministry of Health and its partners, World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have implemented a range of preparedness activities under the guidance and coordination of the Measles National Task Force established in October 2019.

They said this should to happen before travelling internationally, attending major events or community gatherings.

Vaccination provided the best protection against measles and parents should get their children immunised, the agencies said.

In October, Samoa and Tonga both declared measles outbreaks.

Both UNICEF and the WHO said they were continuing to provide resources to Pacific states to respond to the measles threat.