Province rolls out measles programme

HEALTH facilities in East New Britain are carrying out a measles immunisation programme in the province following a recent outbreak of the disease in Port Moresby.
Provincial health adviser Nicholas Larme said measles could spread  easily and needed testing to confirm if symptoms of skin rash were measles or just heat rash as experienced recently in the province.
Larme said measles was a notifiable disease. 
It was not common in the country, and one case caused alarm of an outbreak, as was the case in Port Moresby.
He said since measles can easily be transferred from one child to another, the chances of it reaching ENB was high given the daily flights from Port Moresby into Tokua.
Larme said the department of health had directed immunisation programmes be targeted at measles, polio, vitamin A and Tetanus Toxoid for women of child-bearing age from 15 to 45 years.
Immunisation began on Monday and would run for the whole month.
He said K115,000 was allocated by the department for the program in ENB.
Larme admitted the amount was not sufficient for all health facilities and they were targeting highly populated areas and inaccessible areas.
He called on all parents to have their children vaccinated and women of child bearing ages to be protected from tetanus.
There were 19 cases reported in Port Moresby since the first one was reported a month ago.
National Capital District health services is carryout massive vaccination programmes targeting all schools in the city.