Minister Giniyat urges Kazakhstanis to get children vaccinated against measles
Minister of Healthcare Azhar Giniyat urges Kazakhstani parents to vaccinate their children against measles, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The deterioration of the epidemiological situation for measles has been observed in Kazakhstan since September upon beginning of the new academic year, when students spend most of their time in closed facilities, said the minister while visiting outpatient clinic No 9 in Astana.
The minister brought her grandson to the clinic to get him vaccinated against measles.
She said measles is a highly contagious disease which is transmitted through air droplets when coughing or sneezing.
For this reason, we see a sharp surge in the number of measles cases in the past two months, with more than 13,000 people infected, of whom 83% are children aged under 5, and unvaccinated adults, Azhar Giniyat said.
70% of those infected are unvaccinated children. The majority of them or 60% refused to vaccinate. 18% were not immunized due to medical contraindications, and 22% are children who have not reached the age of vaccination.
She then reminded that the ministry had launched additional nationwide vaccination of children which would last until the end of January.
The minister also warned of the complications of the infection.
Measles can lead to such dangerous complications as pneumonia, various inflammations, such as otitis, up to blindness. Today there is no specific treatment for measles, so vaccination remains the only way to protect oneself from such an infection, she added.