Measles Vaccination Exceeds Targets in Sarlahi Municipality, Nepal

Sarlahi. The Ministry of Health and Population has stated that more children than targeted have received the measles vaccine in Malangwa Municipality, Sarlahi.

Dr. Abhijan Gautam, Chief of the Child Health and Vaccination Branch of the Department of Health Services, stated that more children than targeted were vaccinated in Malangwa Wards 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, and 10.

According to him, approximately 10,032 children were vaccinated against measles in those areas. The target was to vaccinate 7,519 children in the areas where measles had spread.

"There were more children in those wards than we estimated," he said. "That is why we vaccinated 2,452 more children than our target."

All children between six months and 15 years of age in those wards affected by the measles outbreak were vaccinated against measles. So far, seven cases of measles have been confirmed in that area.

"Although measles was only detected in seven people, we vaccinated children in the wards connected to the affected wards due to the risk of further spread," he said. The measles epidemic spread in Malangwa Municipality Wards 3 and 4 on Poush 25 last year.