LESOTHO – The Ministry of Health in Lesotho has announced that it will conduct the national integrated Measles and Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign and COVID-19 targeting children between 0 to 59 months.
During a press briefing held at the Ministry of Health Headquarters, health authorities said that Lesotho decided to leverage the measles Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs) to administer Measles Rubella Vaccine in order to prevent the epidemiology of measles and rubella in the country.
The forthcoming vaccination campaign, running from 25th October to the 5th November 2022, is also in line with the global strategy for measles and rubella/Congenital Rubella Syndrome elimination.
The strategy aims to achieve and maintain at least 95% vaccination coverage with two doses of measles and rubella containing vaccines within each district of each country in the African region, through routine and supplementary immunization.
“The rationale behind the COVID-19 campaign is for Lesotho to reach the target of seventy percent (70%) of the population eligible for taking the COVID-19 vaccine to reach herd immunity,” the Ministry of Health said.
This means enough people will have been vaccinated to curb the spread of COVID-19 among the Basotho, according to an official government statement.
At the same time, the Expanded Programme Immunisation Officer, Ms. Malefaso Mosese disclosed that vaccines for the SIAs were funded by the Government of Lesotho with support from the Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, World Bank, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Lesotho Country Office.
“Only WHO-prequalified and approved vaccines will be used for the campaign thus Johnson and Johnson (JNJ) and Pfizer. The campaign will be conducted in all ten districts in Lesotho,” Ms. Mosese underscored.
She further pointed out that the Procurement of vaccines and other supplies of Vitamin A, and Syringes is facilitated by the UNICEF Lesotho and the UNICEF supply division.
“The purpose of the MR vaccine is to reach and protect all children, especially those who previously missed the routine immunization services,” said the Surveillance Officer in the Ministry of Health, Mrs. Malikhetho Motenelapi.
She further said that it will protect children who did not develop immunity after the 1st dose of the MR vaccine while noting that there are confirmed cases of Measles outbreaks in some districts in Lesotho.
“The provision of routine immunization service was interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, hence the need to catch and avert future outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases,” added Mrs. Motenelapi.
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