ASIA/THAILAND - Five days to vaccinate 14,000 Hmong refugees accepted by the United States against diphtheria, measles, German measles, tetanus

Rome (Fides Service) - The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Thai government have registered vaccinations of more than 14,000 Hmong refugees who have been accepted by the United States of America.
The campaign of vaccinations in Wat Tham Krabok refugee camp, 150 km from Bangkok, was achieved in record time: five days with the combination of 6 vaccines against polio, diphtheria, measles, German measles and tetanus.
The Thai health ministry and the health authorities in the district of Praputtabat organised 10,000 vaccinations a day given by 50 nurses to respond to the urgent need to vaccinate at least three weeks before their departure for the US, the first 15,000 refugees.
Since 1977 the IOM has helped hundreds of thousands of Hmong refugees finding places for them to emigrate in four countries: United States, France, Canada and Australia. (AP) (5/6/2004 Agenzia Fides; Righe:18; Parole:167)