The Government of Guinea-Bissau begins, on Thursday, a free vaccination campaign against meningitis A and covid-19, which will cover the entire country until the end of the month, the Ministry of Health announced today.
The campaign is aimed at adults aged 18 or over, in the case of the covid-19 vaccine, and children aged between one and 7 years, in the case of vaccination for meningitis A, according to the Government.
The official launch of the campaign is scheduled for Thursday, at the Ministry of Health, with the presence of minister Domingos Malu, and the vaccination plan will continue until September 29, throughout the territory of Guinea-Bissau.
Vaccination takes place “in health facilities and other duly identified public places” and the Ministry of Health encourages all eligible people to get vaccinated, “in order to protect themselves, their families and their community”, as mentioned in a statement.
The Government emphasizes the importance of vaccination against meningitis due to the fact that Guinea-Bissau borders African countries in the area of this disease, “characterized by factors that favor the occurrence of epidemics, such as travel and large population movements, poor conditions of life, overcrowding, among others”.
Meningitis, as he explains, is caused by various types of bacteria or viruses that cause inflammation of the thin protective membranes of the brain and spinal cord, of infectious origin.
Transmission occurs from person to person, usually through droplets of respiratory secretions or the patient’s cough, and the symptoms are high fever, headaches, difficulty looking down and photophobia.
The campaign “aims to contribute to the elimination of Meningitis “A” epidemics as a public health problem, with the objective of vaccinating all children from one to seven years of age.”
Regarding Covid-19, despite having declared the end of the epidemic, the Guinean Government invites “the entire adult population” to be vaccinated, warning that it is the most effective way to avoid serious manifestations of the disease.
The Guinean Government has technical and financial support from UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, the Global Alliance for Vaccination (GAVI), the people and Government of Japan, the Bill and Mellinda Gates Foundation, Solina, the Center for Prevention and Disease Control for Africa, among other partners.