Feel It: Yellow Fever
hafielyas@yahoo.com
Sudan plans to introduce the yellow fever vaccine into its national immunization schedule as per WHO recommendations that all endemic countries should do so. This is a remarkable achievement given the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out and other public health activities, including circulating vaccine derived polio virus type 2.
The Federal Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the World Health Organization and UNICEF, announced last week the launch of a compensatory vaccination campaign to vaccinate children against polio and yellow fever in the states of Sennar and Darfur..The cost of the campaign amounts to $3 million funded by the Global Alliance Partners (GAP)
The campaign represents a crucial step in protecting a large portion of the population and reducing the risk of severe and deadly yellow fever outbreaks in the country. It is the third and final drive that Sudan is undertaking to protect populations at risk and prevent yellow fever epidemics, pending the implementation of infant immunization as routine practice.
The campaign forms a critical part of Sudan’s ongoing work to protect all populations against yellow fever epidemics, in alignment with the global Eliminate Yellow fever Epidemics (EYE) Strategy. The country plans to complement these yellow fever mass campaigns and ensure long-term protection through the introduction of yellow fever vaccination into routine immunization in the coming months.
According to officials ,Sudan is at high risk for the spread of yellow fever due to a combination of climate and ecological factors, and because there are still areas of low population immunity. Recent years have seen global changes in the epidemiology of yellow fever, with outbreaks occurring in areas that were not previously assessed as being at high risk
People should to prevent mosquito bites. Mosquitoes bite during the day and night. Use insect repellent, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants, treatclothing and gear, and get vaccinated before traveling, if vaccination is recommended for you
People should know a safe and effective yellow fever vaccine has been available for more than 80 years. A single dose provides lifelong protection for most people. The vaccine is a live, weakened form of the virus given as a single shot.
Yellow fever vaccine , should be given cautiously to people older than 60 years, and it should not be given at all to people with certain immune-suppressing conditions. Seniors should discuss their detailed travel plans with their doctors and, if necessary, alternatives to vaccination. Anyone with a severe (life-threatening) allergy to any component of the vaccine should not get yellow fever vaccine .
Adults 60 years of age and older who cannot avoid travel to a yellow fever area should discuss vaccination with their doctor. They might be at increased risk for severe problems following vaccination.Infants 6 through 8 months of age, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should avoid or postpone travel to an area where there is risk of yellow fever. If travel cannot be avoided, discuss vaccination with your doctor