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By SIMBARASHE GARAGADA
THE Chitungwiza municipality health department has rolled out an 11-day vaccination blitz against measles, rubella and Covid 19 targeting 64 000 people.
This comes at a time when an outbreak of measles in the country has claimed 157 lives so far.
Vaccination for measles and rubella have been inconsistent during the COVID 19 lockdown period.
Vaccination is taking place at all Chitungwiza City Health Department Clinics in Zengeza, St. Mary’s, Seke South and Seke North.
Thirteen outreach sites are stationed at random places.
Citimed Hospital, Chitungwiza Central Hospital, Manyame 24hr, St. Michaels and ZRP camp clinic are also carrying out the vaccination process.
Chitungwiza municipality director of health Dr Tonderai Kasu told Dungwiza News that the blitz was an integrated campaign to vaccinate and give vitamin A supplement to children below the age of 5 years against measles and rubella.
“In the current vaccination blitz, we are targeting all children aged 6-59 months irrespective of their previous vaccination status for Measles and Rubella.”
He also revealed that 92 suspected cases of measles in Chitungwiza are under investigation and only a single case was detected on April 12 2022 and the affected person has recovered.
“With respect to testing for measles, we work with the National Virology lab and we have 40 outstanding test results, from mid-August to date, since the National Virology lab is overwhelmed”.
“We do not have any positive polio cases in Chitungwiza but we investigated 25 acute flaccid paralysis cases and all yielded negative results”.
He added that plans are afoot to extend the vaccination blitz to children aged 5 to 15 pending the availability of resources for the programme.
