BY MFANUFIKILE KHATHWANE
MBABANE- The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, today began vaccinating children aged 9 to 59 months. It is part of the nationwide Measles-Rubella Supplementary Immunization Activity (MR SIA) , which will run for two weeks from August 4 to 15, 2025.
The campaign comes in response to a growing pool of susceptible children, with national coverage levels for the MR vaccine still falling short of the 95 per cent target required to stop the spread of measles and rubella.
In 2021, coverage stood at 68.6 per cent improving to 85.7 per cent by 2024, yet still leaving room for potential outbreaks. The last MR campaign conducted in 2021 achieved 97 per cent coverage, and this follow-up is seen as critical to maintaining population immunity and avoiding a resurgence of the diseases.
Measles remains a leading cause of childhood death globally, with an estimated 107 500 fatalities recorded in 2023- 95 per cent of them in children under five years. The virus is highly contagious and spreads through direct contact or respiratory droplets, with symptoms typically appearing 7 to 14 days after exposure. These include high fever, rash, cough, coryza, and conjunctivitis. Complications such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, otitis media, and encephalitis occur in approximately 30 per cent of reported cases, especially among malnourished or Vitamin A-deficient children.
The clinical management of measles includes the administration of Vitamin A, which reduces mortality by 30–50 per cent antipyretics, nutritional support, and antibiotics for related infections. Isolation is recommended until four days after the rash appears, while contacts should be monitored for 21 days post-exposure.
Rubella, although often mild or asymptomatic, poses a severe risk to pregnant women as it can lead to Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS), which causes birth defects such as deafness, heart anomalies, and microcephaly. The disease spreads through respiratory droplets and is most dangerous when contracted in early pregnancy.
To effectively stop the transmission of both measles and rubella, at least 95% of the population must be immunized with two doses of the MR vaccine. The first dose alone may fail in about 10–15% of recipients, which makes the second dose crucial to reaching full immunity.
The 2025 campaign Is also being used as a platform to integrate other child health interventions. Alongside the MR vaccine, children will receive the bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (bOPV), Vitamin A supplementation, and deworming tablets. Targets for the campaign include vaccinating 146 141 children with MR, 169,803 with bOPV, administering Vitamin A to 158 319 children, and deworming 133 962 children aged 12 to 59 months.
Polio remains a global threat, capable of causing lifelong paralysis or death. Although 90% of infections show no symptoms, one in every 200 can result in permanent paralysis. It spreads mainly through the fecal-oral route, reinforcing the need for good hygiene and complete immunization coverage.
This year’s MR SIA campaign not only aims to protect children from life-threatening diseases but also to strengthen routine immunization systems and ensure the future health of Eswatini’s youngest citizens.
