HAITI: UN and Haitian government launch vaccination campaign for Haiti earthquake victims

Record ID: 334904

  • Title: HAITI: UN and Haitian government launch vaccination campaign for Haiti earthquake victims
  • Date: 9th February 2010
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) UNICEF SPOKESPERSON, FRANCOUIES VANOI, SAYING: "At this moment there are hundreds of thousands of people and children that are living in the streets, in the makeshift camps where the risk of epidemics are elevated."
  • Embargoed: 24th February 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Haiti
  • Country: Haiti
  • Topics: Health
  • Reuters ID: LVA4613SORRVS3ZDCHEBIT6GUT76
  • Story Text: UNICEF and the World Health Organization, working with the Haitian health ministry, began an emergency vaccination campaign in Port-au-Prince on Monday (February 08) in a bid to ward off disease.
    "At this moment there are hundreds of thousands of people and children that are living in the streets, in the makeshift camps where the risk of epidemics are elevated," said the spokesperson for UNICEF Mexico, Francouies Vanoi.
    At the Champs de Mars camp outside the Presidential Palace men, women and children stood in line to be vaccinated against measles, diphtheria, tetanus, and other diseases that can easily spread in the unsanitary conditions of the camps.
    The residents of the camp welcomed the vaccinations.
    "I think this is good because if we get vaccinated that could stop any contamination. All the people are contaminated. Everywhere you go there are bad smells that get inside your head," said Jean Milko Darius.
    After the January 12 earthquake hundreds of thousands of people fled their crumbled homes and quickly built up a jumble of makeshift shelters where there is no electricity or running water.
    Bien-Aime Fabiola, a health worker, said that the campaign would be targeting several diseases that have been more prevalent in post-earthquake Haiti.
    "This campaign is against malaria, diphtheria, tetanus and a prevention against microbes that have developed because of what happened," she said.
    Medical charity Doctors Without Borders reports increased cases of diarrhea and skin rashes from the poor sanitary conditions of living outside. It warns that rains could bring more serious diseases like typhoid, measles, or dengue.
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