In effort to avoid crowds, vaccinations programme resumes with limits

By Myo Thiri Kyaw 01 Dec 2020

Myo Thiri Kyaw | DMG
1 December 2020, Sittwe 

The Arakan State Department of Public Health has announced that only 50 children and pregnant women will receive various vaccinations each day at the respective clinics to avoid large crowds of people during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As coronavirus infections have increased in Arakan State, monthly injection and oral vaccinations for pregnant women, newborns and children under two years of age were suspended since the end of September. Vaccinations were resumed in the first week of November. 

“Only 50 people will be accepted per day in order not to create a big gathering. They need to do advance booking. It is for the benefit of the children, directed by the Ministry of Health and Sports,” said assistant director Dr. Soe Win Paing of the state Department of Public Health. 

“When they come to the clinics they must wear mask and face shield. On the day of injection, pregnant women will come. And kids will be coming along,” he said. 

Daw Yu Yu Htay, a mother from Oakkan village in Mrauk-U Township, said she had not received a vaccine for three months. 

“We have vaccination in the whole village. However, not in a socially separated time like this. As we don’t have many people in our village, it is not a big deal. We want our children vaccinated monthly and regularly,” she said. 

Infants and children under two years are typically administered 11 types of vaccinations including a monthly polio vaccine (injection and oral), vaccines for tetanus, smallpox, rotavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome and meningeal tuberculosis. 

The in-charge of Kyauktaw Township’s Nyaung Chaung village IDP camp, Ko Khaing Myo Aung, said the vaccination teams have not arrived at his camp in recent weeks. 

“I am also a healthcare volunteer. We heard kids and pregnant women will be given vaccinations. However, they have not arrived at the camp so far,” he said. 

Vaccinations for pregnant mothers, infants and children under two years of age were also temporarily suspended in Arakan State in April and May, when Myanmar grappled with an initial outbreak of COVID-19.