ASIA/SYRIA - Vaccination campaign against measles and polio for more than 1 million children

Damascus (Agenzia Fides) – To vaccinate one million and 400 thousand children against polio and measles in the country affected by armed conflict is the current goal of UNICEF. So far, over 500 000 have been reached. The data collected in 11 of the 14 Syrian regions show that since the beginning of the campaign, on 26 November, more than 630 children under five years of age have already received drugs against polio and more than 510,000 between 1 and 5 years of age have been vaccinated against measles. Furthermore, children under 1 have also been given a dose of vitamin A, which helps to reduce mortality from acute respiratory infections and diarrhea. Although vaccines have been distributed in about 1200 primary care centers, the main objective are families and children who are in temporary shelters across the country. Operators are trying to reach them through 100 mobile teams. In fact, a statement of the United Nations showed the difficulty of physically reaching the city where to vaccinate children. Already in April, during the World Week of Immunization, UNICEF vaccinated more than 284,000 children in Syria. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 11/12/2012)