Featured Stories
Cameroon conducted a five-day nationwide vaccination effort against measles, mumps and rubella in early July, targeting 5.5 million children ages 9 months to 5 years. Several thousand vaccinators were dispatched to over 200 hospitals as well as to homes, churches, mosques, markets and camps. According to VOA, health workers faced challenges accessing western English-speaking regions as separatist fighters rejected the presence of central government employees. The country this year has tallied over 4,000 measles cases in children, with 18 deaths. Cameroon Concord News; VOA
Outbreak Response
Malawi kicked off a nationwide supplementary vaccination campaign against polio on July 12, targeting 8.8 million children under age 16. The four-day campaign followed the identification of several cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 and type 2 (the country also had a wild poliovirus outbreak in March 2022). Vaccinations took place in all government and Christian Health Association of Malawi health facilities, as well as in private clinics, outreach clinics and other temporary sites. Malawi ran a four-round polio vaccination drive in 2022 and a campaign for children under age 5 in May 2023. WHO AFRO; News Ghana; The Maravi Post
Nigeria’s Jigawa state launched a preventive mass vaccination effort against yellow fever in late July, targeting almost 7.5 million people ages 9 months to 44 years in 27 LGAs. The effort will engage the assistance of traditional and religious leaders, civil societies, community groups, security agencies and others. Leadership; Daily Trust
Burkina Faso kickstarted the second phase of a national immunization effort against polio on July 14, aiming to reach 4.6 million children under age 5. The five-day campaign followed an initial phase in November 2022 and included those living in areas difficult to access due to armed conflict. Some 22,940 mobile vaccinators went door to door across the country’s 13 regions administering oral polio drops. From 2019 to 2022, Burkina Faso saw 73 reported cases of vaccine-derived polio. UNICEF
Peru started a monthlong vaccination effort tackling polio and measles on July 3. The effort encompassed 12 of its 24 regions as well as the constitutional province of Callao, targeting over 2 million children under age 5. The campaign took place in health centers, schools, public spaces, and on a house-to-house basis in the departments of Amazonas, Arequipa, Lambayeque, Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali, and in Callao, where there are coverage gaps against both diseases. Loreto recorded a VDPV1 case earlier this year. As of July 15, the drive had vaccinated 500,000 children against the two diseases. Peru21; Government of Peru
Several provinces in eastern Afghanistan ran an anti-polio vaccination campaign July 8-11, aiming to reach 1.2 million children under age 5. The campaign, taking place in Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar and Nuristan provinces, came in response to an ongoing outbreak near the country’s border with Pakistan. Salam Watandar; Ariana News
Kenya’s Turkana West subcounty held a vaccination drive against measles July 4-9, targeting almost 40,000 children. The campaign also aimed to reach nomadic pastoralists to prevent the disease from spreading to other parts of the county. The subcounty has seen 295 cases and five fatalities this year. The Star; Kenya News
Integrated Campaigns
Ecuador extended its nationwide vaccination campaign against measles, rubella and polio until July 31. Targeting 3.7 million children, the campaign was originally slated to end July 9. Children ages 2 to 12 were eligible for measles-rubella doses, while those ages 1 to 7 received polio vaccine. PAHO; Prensa Latina
Nigeria’s Lagos state implemented an outbreak response campaign against polio across 57 LGAs and local council development areas July 22-25, targeting all children under age 5 with novel oral polio vaccine type 2 drops irrespective of previous immunization status. Children ages 6 months to 5 years also received vitamin A supplements, and those ages 1 to 5 received deworming tablets. All children under 5 were screened for malnutrition in a door-to-door effort that also spanned health centers, schools, religious facilities, and other venues. Additionally, Kwara state launched a polio campaign toward the end of the month in response to cVDPVs. Ben TV; PM News
Local Campaigns
Rwanda launched a five-day vaccination campaign against polio on July 24, targeting 2.7 million children under age 7. The campaign followed reports of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 cases in neighboring countries. Community health workers visited homes and offered vaccination in “other strategic locations.” The last polio case in Rwanda was reported more than three decades ago. Rwandan Government; Xinhua
Parts of Nigeria’s Borno state ran a preventive mass vaccination effort against yellow fever July 12-23, targeting 500,000 people ages 9 months to 44 years. The campaign took place in three of Borno’s 27 LGAs (Jere, MMC and Ngala) in temporary fixed posts and health facilities. Over a similar timeframe, 26 LGAs ran a 488-site deworming campaign July 10-14 that also included vitamin A supplementation, nutritional screening for children, and maternal nutrition and health promotion services. Vax Before Travel; The Guardian Nigeria; Nigerian Tribune
Fiji kickstarted a vaccination campaign against typhoid in its Northern Division on July 4, targeting 132,000 people ages 9 months to 65 years. The campaign—expected to last eight weeks—came in response to several cases recorded in Bua and Macuata provinces. It employed mobile teams in schools, workplaces and communities, as well as fixed teams based at health facilities. North Fiji recorded 78 typhoid cases and one death last year, according to Fiji Times. IVI; Fiji Times; FBC News