A cholera vaccination campaign has been launched in Lakes State’s Awerial County targeting about 70,000 people aged five and above, officials said.
The campaign launched on Wednesday will take place in all six payams and Mingkaman displaced people’s camp.
“The vaccination started this morning (Wednesday). Health workers are now in the field and it will take days according to the population that needs to be vaccinated in Awerial county,” the county’s Executive Director Chol Cindut told Radio Tamazuj. “
According to him, the campaign was precipitated by suspected cases reported in the county.
“There were two suspected cases of cholera in that part of our border with Yirol East near the River Nile. The other case was in Buyung Payam and these two cases are being handled by the health authorities,” he confirmed.
Cindut urged all members of the community to get vaccinated.
James Manyiel, the director of health in Awerial County confirmed that cholera cases have been reported in payams near the River Nile.
“What we are doing is prevention and this cholera vaccination will take six days and will end on 21 November,” he added.
Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with Vibrio cholerae bacteria. People can get sick when they swallow food or water contaminated with cholera bacteria. The infection is often mild or without symptoms, but can sometimes be severe and life-threatening.