Health Ministry now able to relax Yellow Fever response

Health Ministry now able to relax Yellow Fever response – Minister

Sep 29, 2016 News

While Yellow Fever continues to be viewed as a major threat on the international scene, particularly in Africa, Guyana has, to some extent, been able to relax its response.
This development was intimated by Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, who revealed that the number of persons seeking the Yellow Fever vaccine has drastically reduced.
This is in spite of the fact that the Ministry has been able to replenish its supply of Yellow Fever vaccine which had dwindled earlier this year following a highly demanded vaccination campaign for persons travelling outside of Guyana.
The demand was triggered by an outbreak of Yellow Fever in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo, both on the continent of Africa. Several countries, as a result, had insisted that persons travelling to and from susceptible areas have an international yellow fever vaccination certificate.
Guyana has not reported any case of the disease and continues to be vigilant at its ports of entry. But according to Dr. Norton “it (Yellow Fever) is still being closely monitored internationally.”
However according to Dr. Norton, while a number of countries are still seeking to have Guyanese travelling overseas present their yellow fever vaccination certificate, the Ministry of Public Health has been able to work with some countries to relax this request. Among the countries that Guyana has been working closely with in this regard are, Suriname and Jamaica, according to Dr. Norton.
Currently the Ministry is only offering yellow fever vaccines to persons travelling to Africa who are unable to produce proof that they were vaccinated in the past. This is in light of the fact that the Ministry has been assuring people that if they are vaccinated they are in fact immunised for a lifetime.
According to Chief Medical Officer (CEO), Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, “Those who know they have been vaccinated but don’t have their card as proof, can go back to the health centre where it was done…The records are kept there and they can obtain a copy which would then allow them to get the international certificate of vaccination,” Dr. Persaud explained.
It is the belief of the CMO that “more than 95 per cent of the population has already received the Yellow Fever vaccine, so there is no gap really in terms of adult immunisation.” He noted that the main focus of the Ministry of Public Health is its infant immunisation programme.
“We are still continuing the children’s programme, that is paramount to make sure that all the babies by 12 months or so receive their Yellow Fever vaccine because they need to be protected too in the event they are exposed,” Dr. Persaud asserted.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the outbreak of yellow fever in Africa has led to the deaths of hundreds and sickened thousands more.
Yellow Fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected Aedes type mosquitoes. The yellow in the name refers to the jaundice that affects some patients. Symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, jaundice, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. According to WHO, a small portion of patients who contract the disease develops severe symptoms and approximately half of those die within seven to 10 days.

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