ABIDJAN, 30 December 2009 (IRIN) - Côte d'Ivoire's Health Ministry and the World Health Organization are vaccinating tens of thousands of people against yellow fever in the north after an outbreak starting in November killed 21 people.
Health workers are targeting 303,518 people in the Denguélé region - in the main city, Odienné, and in the towns of Minignan and Madinani, according to a WHO and Health Ministry communiqué.
In an initial response to the November outbreak health workers vaccinated 33,000 people in the areas immediately surrounding the known cases, in Odienné and Minignan. But the mosquito-borne viral infection eventually reached other towns, according to WHO.
In the current campaign, 26 to 31 December, all those over six months old who have never been vaccinated or whose last yellow fever vaccination was over 10 years ago (the effectiveness period) will receive the vaccine, except for pregnant women and the severely ill.
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