Hala Zayed, Minister of Health and Population, announced the extension of the national vaccination campaign against a disease poliomyelitis From one day to 5 years old, free of charge, until tomorrow, Friday, March 5, which was scheduled to end on Wednesday, March 3, in all offices, health units and medical centers at the level of all governorates of the Republic.-
Dr. Khaled Mujahid, Assistant Minister of Health and Population for Information and Awareness, and the official spokesperson of the ministry, stated that the extension of the campaign period today, Thursday, and tomorrow comes as a result of the Ministry’s keenness to vaccinate Egyptian and non-Egyptian children who did not receive vaccinations during the days of the campaign due to the presence of disease symptoms that prevented them, or other reasons. Pointing out that the Ministry’s supervisory medical teams from among those working in the campaign will review the vaccination status of children at home and vaccinate those who did not receive the vaccine.
Mujahid indicated that 16 million and 406 thousand and 151 children have been vaccinated, or 98.2%, of whom 17,749 are non-Egyptian children residing in Egypt, since the launch of the national vaccination campaign against polio from Sunday, February 28 until yesterday, Wednesday 3 March 2021, targeting 16.7 million children from the age of one to 5 years in all governorates of the Republic.
Mujahid added that this campaign comes as part of the polio vaccination campaigns that the Ministry of Health and Population carries out annually, to keep Egypt free of the disease, within the framework of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s vision to promote public health and achieve sustainable development goals and Egypt’s 2030 vision.
Mujahid pointed out that the governorates with the highest frequency of citizens on the campaign during its fourth day are: (Sharqia – Menoufia – Qena – Beni Suef – Dakahlia – Kafr El Sheikh – Cairo – Giza) with coverage rates that exceeded 100% of those targeted in these governorates.
He said that vaccination is carried out through fixed teams with 5400 health offices, units and medical centers, in addition to mobile teams in major squares, train and subway stations, and next to mosques, churches, clubs, markets, bus and car stops, in addition to 800 mobile medical convoys, and 2000 ambulances to reach all Children, especially in remote areas.
He added that vaccination in villages is carried out by passing through homes to reach all children targeted for vaccination in all governorates of the Republic, from eight in the morning until five in the evening, with the participation of 90,000 medical teams to carry out the campaign.
For his part, Dr. Alaa Eid, head of the Preventive Medicine Sector, affirmed his keenness to go through the field to offices, health units and medical centers in all governorates of the Republic to follow up on the progress of the campaign activities daily, as well as to follow up the campaign activities through the central room for preventive affairs in the ministry, pointing to an evening meeting for all supervisors. At the central level in the ministry, with the supervisors of the health affairs directorates in the governorates to review the campaign activities daily, and to ensure that 100% of the target is covered.
Eid added that the last case of polio was recorded in Egypt in 2004, and the World Health Organization declared that Egypt was free of the disease in 2006, and despite this, the Ministry of Health and Population carries out annual national campaigns to raise the immune status of children less than five years old. This is to continue keeping Egypt free of disease and raising societal immunity against disease.
Eid stated that the immunization programs against infectious diseases are among the most important priorities of health systems to prevent diseases of epidemic importance, and are among the most important components of public health within the framework of the sustainable development goals in the field of health care, in line with international standards in order to preserve the health of citizens.
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