Arakan vaccination programme suspended amid coronavirus resurgence

By Khin Tharaphy Oo 14 Oct 2020

Khin Tharaphy Oo | DMG
14 October 2020, Sittwe

Monthly vaccinations for pregnant women, infants and children under 2 years of age have been suspended due to a surge in coronavirus infections in Arakan State, according to the Arakan State Department of Public Health.

The monthly vaccination programme has been suspended due to the rising COVID-19 case load in Arakan State, where stay-at-home orders and other public health measures continue to disrupt daily life for many, said Dr. Soe Win Paing, assistant director of the Arakan State DPH.

“The monthly vaccination programme has been discontinued in September and October as the virus infection cases are increasing in Arakan State,” he added.

The vaccination programme targets infants and children under 2 years of age for multiple injections to immunise against polio, measles/rubella and tuberculosis, among other diseases.

Dr. Soe Win Paing said discussions are taking place to restart the vaccination programme in Arakan State as soon as safely practicable.

Daw San San Aye, a pregnant woman from Nyaung Chaung IDP camp in Myebon Township, said she was more than six months pregnant but had never been vaccinated.

“I have not been able to get any medicine for more than six months because of the inconvenient road access and lack of money,” she explained.

“My baby only gets the vaccine once every five months,” said Daw Ma Aye Nwe, the mother of a 5-month-old baby at Tin Nyo IDP camp in Mrauk-U Township. “I am worried that the baby will not be vaccinated. I would like to have regular immunisations for my child’s health.”

Vaccinations for pregnant mothers, infants and children under 2 years of age were also temporarily suspended in Arakan State in April and May, when Myanmar grappled with an initial outbreak of COVID-19.