No hitches in anti-swine flu campaign

The Ministry of Health says that it has not experienced any problems so far after the launch of the AH1N1 vaccination campaign on Monday. Director of Public Health, Shenaaz El-Halabi, told the media yesterday in Gaborone that they are confident that the public has received the message though they still have to sensitise some groups about the exercise. She said some religious groups and elite are still reluctant to get the vaccination.

"We have received a remarkable turnover of people coming for the vaccine and this shows us that people have received the information and see the need to take the vaccine," she said.

She emphasised that it is important that people get the vaccination to protect themselves from the AH1N1 influenza 2009 virus for at least a year. She said that even though it is midway into the winter season, it is still important that people get vaccinated since it is around the same time that the first incident of swine flu was reported in Botswana last year.

Editor's Comment
Routine child vaccination imperative

The recent Vaccination Day in Motokwe, orchestrated through collaborative efforts between UNICEF, USAID, BRCS, and the Ministry of Health, underscores a commendable stride towards fortifying child health services.The painful reality as reflected by the Ministry of Health's data regarding the decline in routine immunisation coverage since the onset of the pandemic, is a cause for concern.It underscores the urgent need to address the...

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