4 721 MISS MEASLES VACCINATION

MBABANE – At least 4 721 children missed the measles rubella (MR) immunisation last year.

The country recorded a national coverage of 4 250 children who were fully vaccinated for measles rubella (MR) last year. This is according to the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), Proxy Indicators Performance report as of November 2022. The country has a total of 33 000 children, who are eligible for vaccination in their first year of life and around 155 000 are under five years old. The Manzini Region recorded the most vaccinated children, with 1 678 and it was followed by the Hhohho Region, with 1 450. The Shiselweni Region recorded 744 and the least number of immunised children were recorded in the Lubombo Region.

At national level, the country’ target for MR was 90 per cent and by November 2022, it stood at 83.1 per cent. Meanwhile, Polio immunisation coverage was above 100 per cent. This was so because the 2021 coverage was at 69 per cent but strategies were used last year to trace all children who had missed the vaccination. EPI Programme Manager Xolisile Dlamini clarified that the gaps in vaccination were as a result of challenges in tracking the parents of the children, who at times relocated from their previous homes. She said some of the children who were closer to the borderline relocated with their parents to neighbouring countries such as South Africa and Mozambique.

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