20100817
africanews

Malawi established more than 8,500 centres across the country to carry out measles vaccination. The country was hit by a measles outbreak that killed hundreds. Minister of Health, Professor David Mphande said this year's mass immunisation campaign aims at vaccinating children missed out at birth. The campaign is taking place a year earlier due to an early outbreak.

Mphande told journalists in the capital city Lilongwe that the ministry had also put out mobile clinics to beef up vaccination in remote areas and as a compliment to the established health facilities.

"With an average of eight percent missing rate after birth, the pool gradually grows and these are people at risk," also said World Health Organisation's (WHO) country representative to Malawi, Felicitas Zawaira.

She added, normally, such people would be covered through campaigns.

The preventive health department earlier announced there would be no danger in children up to the age of 15 vaccinating more than once and that the ministry would not force anyone to get vaccination.

However, a number of Apostolic faithful, including a bishop, have been arrested and tried in court for barring their faithfuls from accessing vaccination. A number of children that died came from such religious groups.

The media has also been asked to send out 'rightful information' to the public on the pandemic.