FIJI’S Ministry of Health and Medical Services has recorded a total of 23,489 children aged 1-9 years old who have been immunised with the Men C vaccine across the Central Division and Ra Sub-division.
A Government issued moments ago said it had just been a week of the rollout of the National Meningococcal (Men C) Immunisation Program, and its campaign aimed to vaccinate 325,000 children and adolescents against the meningococcal C disease.
The statement said the immunisation program began in the Central Division and Ra subdivision on May 14, 2018, and would continue until Friday, June 29.
While the rollout is carried out in the Central Division and Ra Sub-Division, the Family Health team was also conducting trainings for the nurses in the Northern Division, and similar trainings were also being organised for the nurses in the Western and Eastern Divisions.
Immunisation roll out to the Western, Northern and Eastern Divisions will follow.
Parents and guardians are advised to note that:
• For children aged 1-5 years old, who do not attend school, parents and guardians can get them immunised by taking them to the nearest health centre or nursing station;
• For children aged 5 -17 years old, and in school, immunisation teams are visiting schools and immunising children under parental consent. If any child misses out on their immunisation at school, he or she can be immunised at the nearest health centre or nursing station
• For those aged 18-19 years old, undertaking tertiary level studies, stays home or is working, immunisation is available at any health centre or nursing station nearest to them and the ministry encourages all Fijians in this age group to get immunised; and
• Consent forms are provided to children under the age of 18 years, and immunisation will only be given to those children with a signed parental consent form.
The Health Ministry has also advised that Men C immunisation is safe and effective, and is used in many immunisation programs around the world.
More in tomorrow’s edition of The Fiji Times and in our E-Edition.
