December
5, 2017
The
Ministry of Health and Sports is reinforcing precautions for the Japanese
Encephalitis (JE) vaccination, a public programme that will be conducted from
11 to 20 December across the country to protect against the sometimes fatal
disease, said Dr. Than Tun Aung, the deputy director general of the Ministry of
Health and Sports.
To
ensure the safety of the second phase of the vaccination programme, health
staff will check the children’s medical biography to determine whether the
children should receive the vaccination against Japanese encephalitis. The
health staff will also post informational posters depicting symptoms and
conditions in which the vaccine is not to be administered for parents. Question
and answer sessions will also be widely conducted. Children will be put under
observation for an hour after being vaccinated and all will be reminded to
inform the doctor if any symptoms appear.
“A
vaccination team will not vaccinate more than 100 children. Then, we will keep
a health staff at the vaccination programme health centre as a standby to ask
for the medical biography of the children. We also will keep the health group
to observe the post-vaccination condition of the children. We are also planning
to provide the key message of the consequences of the JE vaccination to the
parents. We are also making ready to provide emergency treatment if we find any
post-vaccination problems,” said Dr. Than Tun Aung.
The
campaign includes two phases, beginning in all schools from 15-23 November.
Health teams in all states and regions reached every school as well as
religious and private institutions across the country to immunize children aged
5 to 15. According to 24 November data, the team has given the vaccination
against Japanese encephalitis to 8.3 million out of 8.6 million children.
During
the second phase, from 11-20 December, immunisation posts will be set up at
hospitals, health centres, ward and village administrators’ offices,
monasteries and other community locations to reach children aged 9 months to 5
years and those who have missed the first round. The health department targeted
another five million children in a community-based vaccination programme.
83
per cent in Rakhine State, 90 per cent in Yangon Region, 91 per cent in
Northern Shan State, 94 per cent in Southern Shan State and Kayah State and
over 95 per cent in other states and regions were being vaccinated against
Japanese encephalitis by the Ministry of Health and Sports. During the first
vaccination campaign, five children died after receiving the JE vaccination,
creating worry for parents whose children are being vaccinated for JE.
“I
am really worried for my child to take JE vaccination when I heard of some
children dying after being vaccinated. Now, I am considering to see a doctor
before my child take JE vaccination,” said the mother of a 3-year old child in
North Okkalapa Township. An inquiry into the incident revealed that the
vaccination was not the cause of death.
“Our
team from the central vaccination programme immediately went to find out the
cause of the death and to see whether there was any connection to the
vaccination. We have conducted laboratory tests and autopsies on those five
children. We have found that those five children died because of other
diseases” said Dr. Htar Htar Lin.
Health
officials said the vaccination being used is very safe and has been tested
extensively.
“The
Japanese encephalitis vaccine was manufactured in China. Currently, over 400
million children from 11 countries were vaccinated against JE with the
recommendation of the World Health Organization. The JE vaccine is also
recommended by Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety,” said Prof Saw
Win, child specialist and vice chairman of the National Committee for
Immunization Practices.
Myanmar
people have suffered from JE and a total of 315 JE cases were reported in 2017.
The Ministry of Health and Sports has decided to add Japanese encephalitis (JE)
vaccine to the National Immunisation Programme beginning in January 2018.
Currently, they have provided the Japanese encephalitis vaccines to the
children aged nine months to 15 years.
Japanese
encephalitis is caused by a virus transmitted to humans by the
Culextritaeniorhyncus mosquito. The Culex mosquito breeds in water pools and
flooded rice fields and picks up the virus from pigs and water birds. It does
not spread from person to person.
Japanese
Encephalitis is a serious infection that occurs mainly in rural parts of Asia.
The symptoms of JE are initially mild fever, headache and vomiting. When it
becomes serious it can cause seizures, brain swelling, loss of consciousness
and death. There is no effective treatment for JE. Taking the vaccination is
the best way to prevent JE.
If
children receive the JE vaccination once, it prevent JE 90 per cent of the time
and if the children take the JE vaccination twice, it can prevent JE 99 per
cent of the time.
In
Myanmar and 24 countries of the Asia Pacific region, there are an estimated 68,000
cases of JE disease infection per 100,000 per year and most of those infected
are children under 15 years old. Of this, the fatalities are estimated to be
from 13,600 to 20,400, according to the World Health Organization.
(Translation: Haymar Tin Win)
May
Thet Hnin
Ref;
The Global New Light of Myanmar
No comments:
Post a Comment