Parents and guardians are being urged to take full advantage of the Ministry of Health’s Measles Prevention campaign to ensure that their children are fully immunized for their age. The campaign was launched on Monday, February 16, 2015 and will run until May 8, 2015. It is expected to cost approximately $54.4 million.
Minister of Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson said although this campaign will largely focus on the provision of the MMR vaccine including the booster dose, it will also provide other vaccines available in the public sector which the children may have missed.
“When the Region of the Americas eliminated locally transmitted measles in 2002, it was largely accomplished through a mass immunization campaign such as the one that is now underway,” Dr. Ferguson explained. Jamaica eliminated locally transmitted measles in 1991.
The main objectives of the campaign are:
- to capture those children who have not been fully immunized for their age in order to improve the overall immunization coverage in Jamaica,
- to provide adequate protection in order to reduce the susceptible population for measles in children and
- to have an impact on other vaccine-preventable diseases such as rubella.
Compulsory immunization for children begins at birth and continues until 6 years old. Vaccines for children can be accessed at no cost at Health Centres and parents are being asked to ensure that their children are fully immunized for their age immediately to protect them against vaccine preventable diseases.