330,000 Rohingyas, host community to get cholera vaccine
Hossen Sohel of DOT
Nearly 330,000 Rohingyas and Bangladesh host community will be vaccinated against cholera in a month-long campaign that began on Saturday in the camps of Cox’s Bazar district and its nearby areas, UNB reports.
The campaign is to protect vulnerable population against the deadly disease.
Led by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with support of the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and partners such as Gavi, the vaccine alliance, the campaign aims to reach people who missed some or all previous cholera vaccination opportunities.
“Despite the progress and efforts made by humanitarian agencies to improve water and sanitation conditions in Rohingya camps, cholera and waterborne diseases remain a concern. Oral cholera vaccination is the most effective way to protect such a large section and reduce the risk of disease outbreak,” says DrBardan Jung Rana, WHO Representative in Bangladesh.
Nearly 2.2 million doses of oral cholera vaccines have been dispensed among Rohingya refugees and their host population through three massive vaccination campaigns since November 2017.
“Cholera is an extremely virulent disease that can cause severe acute watery diarrhea. It takes between 12 hours and five days for a person to show symptoms after ingesting contaminated food or water. Cholera affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if untreated. It is extremely important to ensure that those who missed their first or second dose during previous campaigns are now covered,” says EdouardBeigbeder, UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh.
Over 100 mobile and fixed-site vaccination teams, comprising of over 700 vaccinators and volunteers, and supported by 4,000 health workers and mobilisers, are part of the massive immunization effort.