Times Of Swaziland: 4 721 MISS MEASLES VACCINATION

4 721 MISS MEASLES VACCINATION
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Sithembile Hlatshwayo on 12/01/2023 09:21:00


MBABANE – At least 4 721 children missed the measles rubella (MR) immunisation
last year.
The country recorded a national coverage of 4 250 children who were fully
vaccinated for measles rubella (MR) last year. This is according to the Expanded
Programme on Immunisation (EPI), Proxy Indicators Performance report as of
November 2022. The country has a total of 33 000 children, who are eligible for
vaccination in their first year of life and around 155 000 are under five years
old. The Manzini Region recorded the most vaccinated children, with 1 678 and it
was followed by the Hhohho Region, with 1 450. The Shiselweni Region recorded
744 and the least number of immunised children were recorded in the Lubombo
Region.
At national level, the country’ target for MR was 90 per cent and by November
2022, it stood at 83.1 per cent. Meanwhile, Polio immunisation coverage was
above 100 per cent. This was so because the 2021 coverage was at 69 per cent but
strategies were used last year to trace all children who had missed the
vaccination. EPI Programme Manager Xolisile Dlamini clarified that the gaps in
vaccination were as a result of challenges in tracking the parents of the
children, who at times relocated from their previous homes. She said some of the
children who were closer to the borderline relocated with their parents to
neighbouring countries such as South Africa and Mozambique.