A five-day measles vaccination campaign in parts of South Sudan’s Boma State ended last week with 13,965 children immunized, an official said Monday.
The state health minister, James Chacha Konyi, told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday that the campaign ended on March 9, with less than half of children targeted in greater Pibor and greater Likuangole areas, immunized.
“The campaign ended well, but we only immunized 13,965 children. The reason was that there are no roads for easy access. Also, the Murle communities are nomads and so we could not hit the target,” he said.
The official, however, urged locals in Boma not to worry since all affected areas of the state were reached. He further appealed to parents to report to the state health authorities any measles cases.
Chacha said another measles campaign will be carried out in April to immunize some unvaccinated children.
In early February, Boma health ministry launched a measles campaign to immunize 42, 500 children after cases of the disease were reported in parts of the state.
Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by the measles virus. Its symptoms, which include cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes, sore throat, fever and red blotchy skin reportedly don't appear until 10 to 14 days after exposure.