ASIA/NEPAL - Vaccinations against measles for hundreds of thousands of children

Kathmandu (Agenzia Fides) - At the same time as relief supplies arrive, UNICEF is also partnering with the Nepalese Ministry of Health and Population and the World Health Organization in an emergency vaccination drive, aiming to reach half a million children, as fears grow of measles outbreaks in the informal camps that have sprung up.
Measles is very contagious, and can potentially be deadly. There is a real risk of it re-emerging as a major threat for children.
In the first wave of the emergency response, teams are working to immunize children under the age of five in Kathmandu Valley – Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and Lalitpur. Currently almost two million children urgently need help in the areas most affected by the quake. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 08/05/2015)