2017 ceremony for nation-wide vaccination against Japanese encephalitis held

 November 15, 2017

Under the management of the Ministry of Health and Sports, a ceremony for a nationwide vaccination against Japanese encephalitis was held at No.6 Basic Education High School in Zabuthiri Township in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.

At the ceremony, Dr. Thar Tun Kyaw, the Director General of the Public Health Department and U Zaw Win, Deputy Director General of the Basic Education Department formally cut the ribbon to open the ceremony and went around the showroom.

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a potentially fatal viral brain infection for which there is no cure and it mainly affects children aged between one and 14, said the Director General of the Public Health Department. Then, the Ministry of Health and Sport has decided to provide Japanese encephalitis (JE) and other necessary vaccination in Myanmar beginning from January 2018. Currently, they have provided the Japanese encephalitis vaccines to the children aged from nine months to 15 years. The Director General of the Public Health Department under the ministry of Health and Sports gave the certificate of appreciation to the Deputy Director General of the Basic Education Department for providing the assistance to conduct the nationwide vaccination programme success-fully.

Then, Ms. June Kunugi, a representative of United Nations Children’s Fund and Dr. Badri Tharpa, a representative of World Health Organisation gave a speech at the ceremony.

About 14 million children aged from nine months to 15 years of age nationwide will be vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis with two parts. A school-based programme for vaccinations will be carried out between 15 November and 23 November 2017 and a public-based programme between 11 December and 20 December 2017.

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar