Placed under the theme “EPI@50” in reference to the 50 years of existence of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI)
This is the reason why the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the PEV Dr Andreas Njoh accompanied by his collaborators and in the presence of Cameroon's technical and financial partners gave a press conference on Monday April 22, 2024 at the headquarters of the PEV with the aim of mobilizing media partners around vaccination. One of the objectives of this communication campaign is to raise awareness among parents about vaccines which continue during the 2nd year of birth, such as the 2nd dose of the measles and rubella vaccine which is administered at 15 months.
It is in order to protect our children that the 2nd dose of polio vaccine was introduced with the resurgence cases in neighboring countries. And the latest is the “VAP” anti-malaria vaccine which is in routine vaccination and is present in 42 health districts across the ten regions since January 22, 2024. The particularity of this vaccine is that it is administered at a time that mothers were not used to bringing children for vaccination, 1st dose at 6 months, 2nd dose at 7 months, 3rd dose at 9 months and 4th dose at 24 months. It should be noted that it is not present everywhere. According to the EPI, only 67% of health districts vaccinate in the country for several reasons, one of which, if not the most important, is the absence of the cold chain which allows vaccines to be preserved.
The BIG CATCH UP is planned for the months of July, August and September 2024 for the catch-up of vaccines throughout the national territory for children aged 12 to 59 months to try to make up for missed vaccines throughout the country. This 14th edition of African Vaccination Week under the theme EPI@50, corresponds to the fiftieth anniversary of the expanded immunization program in the world. In Cameroon in 1974, there were only three centers in the cities of Yaoundé, Douala and Bafoussam; it has been since 1982 that this has spread to the rest of the country.
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Dr Andreas Njoh, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Expanded Program on Immunization
« the objective of this African Vaccination Week is to strengthen activities, the engagement of populations on activities related to vaccination, to intensify activities on communication on vaccination activities so that the population becomes involved further, to reassure that all children, everyone receives their vaccines on time in order to be protected for a better quality of life for our population. During this African Vaccination Week, we will strengthen communication activities using all available channels or platforms so that everyone can receive the right information regardless of where they are about their rights to be protected by vaccination , them and their children. It will also be an opportunity to further engage these populations to promote vaccination activities but it will also be an opportunity for the Ministry of Public Health, through the expanded vaccination program, to congratulate parents and child guardians. their children have been fully vaccinated according to the Cameroon vaccination schedule. As you know, every child born has the right to vaccination, it is free because the partners and the State cover the related costs, therefore every child is supposed to have their vaccine in the different health facilities which offer vaccination services. additional vaccination for landlocked areas that are difficult to access, periodically health personnel make raids to ensure that these areas are covered by advanced and mobile strategies. In addition, Minsanté plans to further strengthen strategies for periodic campaigns to intensify and catch up with these children in difficult areas so that every child is vaccinated and protected against preventable diseases.
Clément Noumsi
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