Diphtheria vaccines for 475,000 children in Cox’s Bazar

The Bangladesh government, the WHO, UNICEF and other partners in the health sector are vaccinating more than 475,000 children in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar in response to the diphtheria outbreak.

“All efforts are being made to stop further spread of diphtheria,” WHO Representative to Bangladesh Dr Bardan Jung Rana said in a statement.

“The vaccination of children in the Rohingya camps and nearby areas demonstrates the health sector’s commitment to protecting people, particularly children, against deadly diseases.”

The campaign gave pentavalent vaccines (which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, haemophilus influenza type B and hepatitis B) to 150,000 children between six weeks and seven years of age and tetanus and diphtheria (Td) vaccines to 166,000 children between 5-17 years of age. The campaign ended on Dec 31, with two more rounds planned.

“Children are particularly vulnerable to diphtheria,” said UNICEF Country Representative Edouard Beigbeder.

“Volunteers are making door-to-door visits in the Rohingya settlements to ensure all children receive vaccination. The massive influx within a very short time has heavily affected basic services in the settlement areas.”

Rohingya refugees, who suffer from diphtheria, are being treated at a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) clinic near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh Dec 18, 2017. Reuters

The congested conditions of the camp are also affecting health and quality of life, he said. Efforts are underway to improve the situation while the vaccines are administered to reduce further outbreak risks.

An additional 160,000 children from 499 schools in Teknaf and Ukhiya are also being vaccinated to contain the spread of the disease.

Thirty-one people died and another 3,954 suspected cases of diphtheria were reported from Cox’s Bazar between November and January, according to UNICEF. About 10,594 people in contact with these cases are receiving diphtheria preventive medication.

The WHO is giving $1.5 million to scale up the response to the outbreak. The funds will be used to support immunisation, provide medicine and supplies and improve laboratory capacity.

Diphtheria is an infectious disease that infects the throat and produces a toxin that affects other organs. It can cause dead tissue to build up in the throat and tonsils, restricting breathing and making swallowing difficult. The disease is spread through direct physical contact or breathing in secretions from coughs and sneezes.