Lebanon launches first phase of cholera vaccine campaign

Lebanon launches first phase of cholera vaccine campaign

BEIRUT: The Ministry of Public Health of Lebanon launched a cholera vaccination campaign on Saturday aimed at reaching 70 percent of the target population over the next three weeks. The World Health Organization assisted the ministry in obtaining a critical shipment of 600,000 doses of cholera vaccine. The campaign will target all refugees and host communities over the age of one with a weekly target of administering 200,000 doses. “These vaccines will be a key tool to boost our response as the cholera outbreak is fast spreading in the country. The arrival of these vaccines in the country is timely and thanks to our collective efforts with the Ministry of Public Health of Lebanon, UN agencies and our partners on the ground,” WHO Representative in Lebanon Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar said. WHO is covering the full cost of doses from the International Coordination Group, which manages the global supply of cholera vaccines. In addition, WHO is providing technical guidance on target area selection, micro plan development and training of the implementing partners in charge of vaccine deployment. It will also assist the Ministry of Public Health in completing a second ICG application for the additional two million doses of oral cholera