16.6m African children miss measles vaccine doses – WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) said about 16.6 million children in Africa missed planned supplemental measles vaccine doses between January 2020 and April 2021 due COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, made this known during a virtual press conference facilitated by APO Group.

Eight African countries reported major measles outbreaks that affected tens of thousands during the outbreak.

Recent outbreaks of measles, also yellow fever, cholera and meningitis all point to worrying gaps in immunization coverage and surveillance.

Around nine million children in the African region miss life-saving vaccines, each year and one in five children remain unprotected from vaccine preventable diseases, which claim the lives of over 500, 000 children under 5 years in Africa every year.

Moeti said that the outbreaks were largely due to low routine immunization coverage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As we fight COVID-19, we cannot leave anyone dangerously exposed to preventable diseases. I urge all countries to double down on essential health services, including life-saving vaccination campaigns,” she said.

Measles requires at least 95% immunization coverage in the population to prevent outbreaks. Only seven countries in the region achieved 95% measles-containing vaccine coverage in 2019.

Africa was declared wild polio-free in 2020. Over 116 million children were vaccinated with the third dose of the vaccine between 2015 and 2019.

Moeti explained that integrated action is needed to increase and expand access to immunization as part of primary health care.

“This includes providing policy guidance, helping strengthen health systems, training health care professionals, reinforcing disease surveillance and the use of data for action, as well as assisting with periodic mass vaccination campaigns for a range of vaccine-preventable diseases,” she added.

However, this must be backed by a well-trained workforce, strong surveillance, health information systems, national leadership, management and coordination.

“We must also engage more with community leaders and influencers to ensure that everyone understands the life-saving, transformative promise of vaccines,” Moeti said.

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