HEALTH teams carrying out measles vaccinations have been given until midnight on Christmas Eve to complete providing immunisation to the target group.
Minister for Health Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete said the directive had been given to the National Measles Taskforce in a meeting held this week.
“It is my hope and prayer that no Fijians will die from this measles outbreak,” he said.
“I have advised the taskforce that they must finish vaccinating the target group by midnight of Christmas Eve so that on Christmas Day, this nation can truly celebrate Christmas.
“We will leave no Fijians behind, we will reach the unreached and our taskforce is run by daughters and sons of this land, not overseas people.”
Dr Waqainabete said the 1875 measles outbreak which killed 40,000 Fijians will not be repeated.
“We do know that our families and friends in Samoa are struggling with the measles outbreak and we offer our condolences to them,” he said.
“Through this vaccination, we will reach the unreached, leave no one behind and we will decrease the out-of-pocket expenses for Fijians who need health care.”
According to an earlier advise from the ministry, the target people in certain groups included children who have not received two doses of a measles vaccine, any child aged 12 and 18 months who are due for their routine measles immunisation, persons travelling overseas, all healthcare workers in the country, and all airport and hotel staff.
In the Central Division, the campaign will also target all children aged six months to five years, all people born between 1980 and 2000 and all residents of Serua and Namosi provinces aged six months and older.
