Zimbabwe’s health ministry will next week embark on a major immunization campaign targeting young children under the age of five to prevent them from killer diseases such as measles.
Director of Epidemiology and Disease Control in the ministry of health, Dr. Portia Manangazira told VOA that a number of centers have been lined up to complement hospitals and clinics where children will be vaccinated for free.
Manangazira says the campaign will be rolled out in the country’s all 62 districts targeting at least 1.9 million children below the age of five. Every child will be provided free vaccinations and Vitamin A supplements.
“We also hope to introduce a new pneumococcal vaccine during the same week, which will help children fight pneumonia and meningitis which will be administered three times at six, 10 and 14 weeks,” said Dr. Manangazira.
Manangazira says her ministry’s aim is to ensure that all children under the age of five have easy access to vaccinations that will help fight preventable diseases like polio and measles.
“We are hoping to avoid the repeat of the 2009 measles outbreak,” she added.
Manangazira told VOA's Marvellous Mhlanga Nyahuye this year’s national immunization week starts June 18. She added that all parents should take advantage of the campaign to have their children protected from killer diseases that are preventable.