HEALTH Minister Sylvia Masebo has appealed to parents and guardians to prevent their children from getting measles and rubella by getting them fully vaccinated on time.
Ms. Masebo said measles and rubella were among the vaccine preventable diseases and yet still causing disease and death in developing countries including Zambia.
She disclosed that recently, there was an outbreak of measles and rubella in Itezhi-Tezhi which affected over 33 children but that fortunately, no deaths were recorded among those infected.
“Measles and rubella can be prevented by vaccination. Zambia provides under-five routine measles-rubella combined vaccines at nine and 18 months of age, and supplementary immunisations in high-risk areas as well as during child health week,” Ms. Masebo said.
And giving the COVID-19 update, Ms. Masebo said for the second consecutive days, no new deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours preceding yesterday, leaving the cumulative number of COVID-19 related deaths recorded to date at 3,639, classified as 2,727 COVID-19 deaths and 912 associated deaths).
Ms. Masebo said the country detected 77 new confirmed COVID-19 cases out of 6,769 tests conducted bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases recorded to date to 208,676.
Ms. Masebo said at district level, the new cases were reported from 36 districts, with the top five reporting districts being Solwezi with seven, Mansa and Nakonde six each, Chiengi and Chipata five each whereas the remaining 31 districts accounted for 48 of the new cases, having recorded five or fewer new cases each.
“We currently have 687 active cases (up from 637 reported yesterday) under either admission to an isolation facility or home management for those who are asymptomatic and/or low risk,” she said.
Ms. Masebo said seven new admissions with no discharges were made from COVID-19 facilities country wide and there were currently 49 of the active cases who were admitted, with 32 on Oxygen therapy and 15 in critical condition.
This she said was the second consecutive day that the ministry had seen an increase in the number of critical patients and those on oxygen.
Ms. Masebo said 27 patients had been discharged from home management, having met the World Health Organisation criteria for discharge, leaving 638 of active patients who were currently under home management bringing the cumulative number of recoveries recorded to date to 204,350.
And on COVID-19 vaccines, Ms. Masebo said 3,319 doses of Johnson and Johnson 299 Dose one, 4,831 Dose two of AstraZeneca and 213 Doses of Sinopharm had been administered in the previous 24 hours.
