- City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
- Dubai 04:28 05:46 12:20 15:47 18:49 20:07
After the successful polio vaccination programme for students, UAE authorities have now launched a measles immunisation campaign in the country.
The National Measles Immunisation Campaign will target everyone between the ages of 1 and 18 years.
The Ministry of Health and the health authorities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are urging UAE residents to make the campaign a success and help eliminate the disease from the UAE.
Several schools have sent out circulars to parents about the campaign that will take place within the school premises to ensure that the kids are vaccinated against this highly contagious disease.
Under the campaign, children will be given one dose of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine by injection.
The vaccine will be given for free to all students (from kindergarten to grade 12 or equivalent) in their schools during the current academic year (2015-16).
Private schools in Dubai will start the campaign on November 1, 2015, and will continue until vaccination of all eligible students is completed over 60 working days.
The authorities also stress that this vaccination is compulsory for all students, except those who have documented medical contraindication.
In such cases, parents need to explain why the students are not allowed to take the shot for medical reasons.
Parents who do not wish to get their healthy children vaccinated should provide past and updated medical vaccine record stating that the individual has received all and the most recent shots.
In order to prevent measles, strengthen immunity and to eliminate the disease in the community, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends adherence to routine vaccination and implementing immunization campaigns.
Vaccination is the best, safest and most effective tool to protect against measles. Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that may infects adults and children. It is considered as one of the leading causes of death among young children worldwide.
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