Say Yes, Winter 2004: Measles Vaccination … No More Tears

In December, the Ministry of Health (MOH) launched the first phase of their ‘catch-up campaign’ to eliminate Measles in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MONE). Within three weeks 9.5 million school children between the ages of six and fourteen years of age were given the Measles vaccine. The campaign is supported by UNICEF, WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and, together with a similar drive in Iran, constitutes the most ambitious Measles elimination campaign the world has yet seen.

A further ten million pre-school children will be vaccinated during 2004 along with those who are not attending school in a second phase ‘mop-up’ campaign. The national target is to eliminate the disease by 2010 in line with WHO drive to make the European Region measles-free.

The MOH’s comprehensive programme for 2002-2010 calls for national vaccination among all children between the ages of nine months and fourteen years. The routine double dose vaccination coverage rate is targeted to exceed 95%.

The first phase, enlisting support from the media, health professionals, schools, local communities and parents, was a resounding success as seven million children were reached with one dose of vaccine during the first ten days of the campaign alone.

The scheduling of the campaign was timely since infections of Measles mostly occur during late Winter and Spring and outbreaks are common amongst school children in Turkey where thousands of cases are observed every year. Since the disease is highly contagious, a child with Measles can spread infection to others within a period of four days before manifesting any symptoms himself.

The UNICEF Representative in Turkey, Edmond McLoughney applauded the collaboration between the MOH and MONE in aiming to reach ten million children during the first three weeks of the campaign. Mr McLoughney added that:

Although deaths from Measles have been reduced by two thirds all over the world within the last ten years, over 700,000 children died of the disease for the sake of not being immunised. This is unacceptable when you consider that a single dose of the vaccine costs only 25¢.

Mr McLoughney went on to say that following the immunisation of 9.5 million school children, Turkey’s immunisation campaign would so far be the most successful in the European Region.

According to WHO, deaths from Measles constitute between 50% and 60% of the estimated worldwide total of childhood deaths attributed to vaccine-preventable illnesses.

Measles kills more children than any other vaccine-preventable disease because it weakens the immune system and allows life-threatening opportunistic infections such as pneumonia and encephalitis to take hold. In developing countries where children rarely have access to adequate healthcare services, complications from diarrhœa such as dehydration can prove fatal. For those who survive, Measles can also lead to permanent disabilities such as brain damage, deafness and blindness.

The successful elimination of Measles in Turkey will boost the country’s routine immunisation programme and lead to an unquestionable strengthening of the public health system.

The vaccine is quite safe and highly effective and it has been used in Turkey since the ‘70s. There is a minimal occurrence of side effects, which are not serious, and these can be treated with paracetomol.

UNICEF Executive Director, Carol Bellamy said that:

There is absolutely no reason that children should die or be disabled from Measles when we have simple, effective and inexpensive vaccines. The Government of Turkey has shown commendable leadership in its efforts to eliminate this deadly disease.

The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation have more information on Measles and other infectious childhood diseases. Read what WHO have to say about vaccine preventable disease control and elimination in Europe.

Minister of Health, Dr Recep Akdağ, spoke to UNICEF in this issue of Say Yes about the Measles Elimination programme and other improvements in the area of Maternal and Child Health.

See our Programmes section for more details about immunisation in Turkey.

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