Nationwide vaccination campaign kicks off next month in Jordan

A nationwide vaccination campaign targeting 3.5 million people of various age groups kicks off early November to ensure better immunity levels against measles and German measles (Rubella) and to thus ensure that Jordan becomes free of polio. The three-week long campaign, to be carried out by the Ministry of Health and backed by the United Nations Fund (UNICEF) and run in cooperation with other international organisations, is targeting children between the age group of 6 months and 20 years for measles and Rubella, and those under the age of five years for polio. The Director of the ministry's Department of Infectious Diseases, Mohammad Abdallat, told Petra on Saturday that the three diseases were designated for the free immunization campaign after more than 100 measles cases had been discovered since February. He said the instances of this disease emerged just when the Kingdom was about to be declared free of measles with no cases recorded for three years in a row. Abdallat said the new infections were found across the country, both among Jordanians and expatriates, 80 per cent of whom were under 15 years of age. He added that no polio cases had been recorded in the Kingdom since 1992, but added the vaccination was a precaution after the discovery of the rapidly-spreading disease in neighbouring countries.