Within the framework of the contingency plan for measles prevention, the Departmental Health Service (Headquarters) activated epidemiological surveillance at entry points to identify suspicious cases in Cochabamba. In addition, he reported yesterday that he coordinates immunization and “sweep” campaigns in children.
The alarm was activated nationwide a week ago, after confirming, after four years, a positive case of measles in a seven-year-old girl in Tarija. The Ministry of Health instructed a general vaccination plan and an epidemiological blockade.
“Like Cochabamba, we have not had a single case for 20 years, and maintaining that situation is going to be important,” stressed the head of Epidemiology at the Headquarters, Rubén Castillo. He urged parents to complete the vaccination schedules of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI).
The MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, rubella and mumps, is administered at 12 months (1st dose) and between 18 and 23 months (2nd dose), at any health center free of charge. “With the second dose, the immunity of our population is guaranteed,” Castillo remarked.
The head of the PAI, Isabel Quispe, reported that only 75.3 percent of children under one year of age received the first dose in 2023 and 54.9 percent completed the schedule with the second, leaving more than 8,424 children at risk of get sick Lack of knowledge about EPI vaccines and the job are factors behind this deficit, she noted.
The disease is characterized by a skin rash, can infect up to 20 people per case and cause serious complications. Given suspicions, Headquarters indicated that it will activate confirmation protocols in less than 48 hours. Meanwhile, it reinforced surveillance at the airport, terminals and others.
2024-03-06 04:37:59
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