"My daughters will grow up healthy".
Korotimi had her daughters Fatoumata and Djéneba vaccinated against measles and rubella during the national campaign.
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The measles vaccine is part of the routine vaccination schedule for children. Thanks to sustained vaccination since 2001 by the global measles elimination initiative, it had almost disappeared. But, for about a decade, measles has resurfaced in Mali and around the world.
At the Health Reference Center in their commune, Korotimi arrives with her daughters Fatoumata, 4 years old, and Djénaba, 2 years old, for the measles and rubella vaccination. The catch-up campaign for measles and rubella vaccination targets girls and boys aged 9 months to 14 years, regardless of their vaccination status. This allows for the maximum coverage of people susceptible to measles-rubella, as this age group is the most affected according to epidemiological surveillance data.
"A family cannot be happy if the children are not healthy." Diarra Korotimi Camara.
Sitting on her mother's lap, Djénaba, 2 years old, remains calm as Mrs. Maiga administers the dose of vaccine against measles and rubella. The midwife and vaccinator is used to vaccination campaigns with children and knows how to reassure them.
Once Djenaba has received her vaccine dose, Mrs. Maiga carefully updated her vaccination booklet with the date and dose number, and then handed it to her mom. It's now Fatoumata's turn, her older sister, to get vaccinated against measles and rubella.
Fatoumata is brave. Just like her little sister Djenaba, she received the vaccine against measles and rubella and proudly presents her vaccination record. Mrs. Maiga, the vaccinator, has recorded the dose numbers. Their mom, Korotimi, keeps both daughters' vaccination booklets safe to ensure they are up to date. The little girls and their mom can now peacefully head back home.
Mrs. Maiga is a midwife and vaccination agent at a Reference Health Center in Bamako, which hosts the vaccination campaign against measles and rubella.
"It's always a real pleasure for me to vaccinate children. This vaccination will allow many children to grow up healthy. It's a pride for me to have participated in this vaccination campaign against measles and rubella, as a health agent and mother too." - Mrs. Maiga, vaccinator.
The campaign took place over 4 days in all regions of Mali. More than 10,000,000 girls and boys received a dose of vaccine against measles and rubella. The campaign was implemented with funding from GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. GAVI and UNICEF continue to support Mali's Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) to strengthen routine immunization of children and prevent vaccine-preventable diseases.
