Immunisation efforts that became unpopular due to rumours in Maungtaw township, Rakhine State, will begin again, officials said.
Immunisations for jaundice, whooping cough, tetanus, H Influenza type-B, polio, measles and German measles are being carried out, it was learnt in a meeting with authorities.
“On 24 and 26 December in 2016, immunisation work was carried out in Magyichaung village of Maungtaw. A rumour happened that a child was dead due to the wrong immunisation. After careful investigation, it was determined that the child died of diarrhea, not from the wrong immunisation. Due to that information, the immunisation program lost momentum in Buthidaung and Maungtaw townships. People did not come out to be immunised,” said Dr Chan Thar, minister for social affairs in Rakhine State said.
“For the success of the task, it is necessary to educate villagers on the medical benefits. And it needs to cooperate with NGOs and INGOs more than ever. Mainly, it needs to organise the people. In Buthitaung, immunisation was restarted. In doing so, medical doctors, health staff, health assistants are visiting villages with medicines. Women, children and expectant mothers who needed to be vaccinated were injected. And the effects of immunisation and the need to trust medicines were discussed for them to accept.”
Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar