UNICEF said that over 1 million children vaccinated against measles in the past week through in a joint immunization campaign by the Ministry of Public Health, WHO, UNICEF and its partner Merlin in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). Preliminary results show that 96% of the targeted 1,180,000 million children aged between 6 months and 15 years of age were vaccinated in the seven health zones of North Kivu province during the five-day vaccination campaign. Barbara Bentein, UNICEF Representative in the DRC, said, “So far, children from North Kivu have survived fighting, displacement and hunger. Now they are at risk of dying from measles, an entirely preventable disease. An outbreak of measles can spread like a bushfire, and displaced children are especially vulnerable. We must ensure that all children aged between 6 months and 15 years are vaccinated.”

More at: http://www.unicef.org/media/media_67678.html