According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 16.6 million African children skipped scheduled supplementary measles vaccine doses between January 2020 and April 2021 due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Ms Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, announced this during a virtual press conference hosted by APO Group on Thursday, April 22, 2021.
Note that Measles is extremely infectious and needs at least 95% immunization coverage of the community to avoid outbreaks.
Also, coverage of the first dose of the measles-containing vaccine has remained stable in the WHO African Region since 2013, covering about 69%.
In 2019, only seven countries in the region obtained 95% vaccination coverage against measles.
The poor measles coverage represents a broader stagnation of compulsory immunization in Africa, which has been intensified in several countries by the pandemic and associated constraints.
Some diseases, such as tetanus, diphtheria, and yellow fever, need 90% coverage of the population, but the prevalence in Africa have stayed stagnant at about 70% to 75% over the last decade.
Every year, approximately nine million children in the African region lose out on life-saving vaccinations, and one in every five children remains unprotected from vaccine-preventable diseases, which claim the lives of over 500, 000 children under the age of five in Africa.
According to Moeti, the outbreaks were primarily exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic’s inadequate routine immunization coverage.
She also mentioned that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 15 African countries postponed measles immunization drives in 2020.
“As we combat COVID-19, we cannot leave everyone at risk of contracting preventable diseases, she added, encouraging countries to increase their investments in vital health programs, such as life-saving vaccine initiatives.
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According to Moeti, the WHO is collaborating with African countries to ensure that regular immunization service delivery is scaled up to close holes created at the start of the pandemic.
“This involves delivering public advice, aiding in the strengthening of health services, educating health care practitioners, reinforcing disease control and the use of evidence for an intervention, and assisting in annual mass vaccination programs for a variety of vaccine-preventable diseases,” she said.
She stated that coordinated intervention was needed to improve and extend access to immunization as part of primary health care.
She noted, however, that this must be supported by a well-trained workforce, strong surveillance, health information systems, and national leadership, management, and coordination.
“We must also communicate with community leaders and influencer to further ensure that everyone knows the life-saving, transformative potential of vaccines,” Moeti urged.
