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ISLAMABAD, Jan 2 (APP):Director of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) Sindh, Dr. Muhammad Naeem, said on Thursday that measles cases witnessed a significant surge due to disrupted vaccination campaigns during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Talking to a private news channel, he said that in that period, particularly, the measles vaccination campaign was totally smashed because of the lockdown.
The other big reason for this spike is the reluctance of parents to visit vaccination centers, which also contributed to measles cases, he added.
He said that the Sindh Health Department, in collaboration with GAVI and WHO, has vaccinated approximately one million children across the province.
The vaccination drive will be conducted four times a year with measles-rubella vaccine support, he added.
According to the health department, around 6,600 children have been affected by measles in Sindh since November, while approximately 130 children lost their lives to the disease last year.