Earlier today, Haiti introduced a new vaccine to save its children.
The Ministry of Public Health, in partnership with international vaccine alliance – Gavi, launched the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (or PCV) into its national routine immunization program, to protect children against deadly pneumonia.
According to the Miami Herald, “The vaccine is aimed at reaching as many as 270,000 Haitian children each year, who will now be eligible to receive the protection against pneumococcal disease, an infection that causes several serious illnesses including bacterial meningitis and pneumonia. Pneumonia is the leading disease killing children under age 5 worldwide.”
It is reported that 69 of every 1,000 children die from a variety of illnesses before their fifth birthday in Haiti. The country’s immunization rate is only 60%, the lowest in the Western Hemisphere against childhood diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.
Gavi has committed $43 million to Haiti’s health system. Read the full story HERE.
PHOTO: Shutterstock.com
WordPress
Google + 
Facebook