A health worker preparing vaccine to inject a child.
Yangon September 29
The administration of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccine will be prioritized in Rakhine State where recent terrorist attacks have made its northern parts volatile and unsafe, according to deputy director-general Dr Than Tun Aung of Public Health Department.
“Even a slightest instability will scare away people from coming for vaccination of JE. So, we need special attention and care for the project. There are 17 townships in Rakhine State, but we may have to leave out the two for security reasons. Nurses and health workers may not dare to visit some places, especially in the northern sector of the state. So, it’s difficult to implement the whole plan without fail,” he said.
The vaccination of JE will be carried out across the country including Rakhine State under two steps. First, the vaccines will be administered at schools in November and, after that, the program will be made in wards and villages in December.
Japanese encephalitis is a potentially fatal viral brain infection for which there is no cure and it mainly affects children aged between fi ve and 13.
Most people infected by the virus have either no symptoms or short-lived mild symptoms similar to infl uenza. In less than one case in every 250, the virus causes serious symptoms, such as seizures, confusion and paralysis.
There have been social problems in Rakhine State since previous times, resulting in low coverage of vaccination. Some children in Rakhine State are left to administer polio vaccines.
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