WHO, Unicef – 80 million children at risk of measles & polio as vaccines disrupted

Some 80-million children worldwide could be at risk of vaccine-preventable diseases like diphtheria, measles, and polio due to disruption of routine immunization during the Covid-19 pandemic, UN agencies, and the GAVI vaccine alliance said on Friday.

Data shows that “provision of routine immunization services is substantially hindered in at least 68 countries and is likely to affect about 80-million children under the age of 1 living in these countries,” the World Health Organisation, UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) and GAVI said in a joint statement issued ahead of the Global Vaccine Summit set for June 4.

Travel restrictions, delays in vaccine deliveries, reluctance among some parents to leave their homes amid fear of exposure to coronavirus, and a lack of available health workers were behind what it said maybe “unprecedented” disruption on a global scale since such expanded programmes began in the 1970s.

“We cannot let our fight against one disease come at the expense of long-term progress in our fight against other diseases,” said Henrietta Fore, Unicef executive director.

“While circumstances may require us to temporarily pause some immunisation efforts, these immunization must restart as soon as possible, or we risk exchanging one deadly outbreak for another,” she said.

In other news – Uzalo actor Sbu has found love and She is a politician

SABC1’s Uzalo actor Simphiwe Majozi has found love in the arms of Elundini local municipality DA councilor Kekeletso Mahlelebe.

Majozi is famous for the comical role he plays as Sbusiso “Sbu” Rememberance Makhathini in the SABC1 drama series aired on weekdays at 20.30 pm. The much-liked and popular drama has since ran out of episodes because no shooting was taking place during the Coronavirus lockdown. continue reading

Source: Reuters