AT least 385 children in the CNMI have been vaccinated against measles as part of the Department of Public Health’s intensified campaign against a possible outbreak of the disease here.
A measles epidemic was declared on Guam yesterday (see page 6), but acting Health Secretary James U. Hofschneider yesterday said there had been no suspected or confirmed case of measles on Saipan, Tinian and Rota since his department issued a measles alert in late April.
“We are happy with the results of the campaign—close to 400 children got (their) vaccination in just more than a week,” Hofschneider said.
During the first two days of the campaign, 258 CNMI children were vaccinated.
Government and private clinics have been providing MMR vaccine to prevent a measles outbreak.
Measles is an acute and contagious virus disease. Its symptoms include high fever, red rash that covers the body, runny nose, watery eyes and coughing.
Measles vaccine is administered as part of the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine series to children beginning at 12 to 15 months, and again, at four to six years of age or 11 to 12 years of age.
