What is Facts for Life?
Timing Births
Safe Motherhood
Child Development and Early Learning
Breastfeeding
Nutrition and Growth
Immunization
Diarrhoea
Coughs, Colds and More Serious Illnesses
Hygiene
Malaria
HIV/AIDS
Injury Prevention
Disasters and Emergencies
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Immunization
Supporting Information
Key Message 6:
Disease can spread quickly when people are crowded together. All children living in congested conditions, particularly in refugee or disaster situations, should be immunized immediately, especially against measles.
Emergencies and situations that make people flee their homes often lead to the spread of communicable diseases. Therefore, all displaced children under 12 years of age should be immediately immunized, especially for measles, at the first point of contact or settlement.
All immunizations in emergency settings should be given with auto-disable syringes – syringes that can be used only once.
Measles is even more serious when children are malnourished or living in conditions of poor sanitation.
- As diseases like measles spread very quickly, a child with measles needs to be isolated from other children and examined by a trained health worker.
- Measles frequently causes severe diarrhoea. Immunizing children against measles prevents diarrhoea.
If routine child immunization has been disrupted, consult a health worker to complete the immunizations according to national guidelines.
On immunization, see also:
