By Ibrahim Sorie Koroma, Senior Health Education Officer –HEP/MoH
As a show of leadership, the Hon. Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby has received the first dose of the MPOX vaccine in Sierra Leone. The event took place at the launch of the MPOX vaccination campaign for frontline workers and high risk groups at the CCSL compound in Freetown last week. “I will be the first person to take the maraklate as a show of leadership and faith in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine”, Said Dr. Demby.
Addressing stakeholders, Dr. Demby reiterated that there is another opportunity for the prevention of MPOX, noting that vaccination is also an effective strategy and a useful preventive catalyst against MPOX disease, adding that the country now has over 61,000 doses of vaccines for administration to the target groups. The vaccine is an added strategy to other preventive measures such as hand washing which is pivotal in hygiene prevention.
Dr. Demby continued to say that the vaccine will be given to the most vulnerable groups including people aged 12 years old and above, healthcare workers and other high risk groups.
Linking vaccination to the protection of the public, the Hon. Health Minister educated that MPOX is a public vaccine because the current MPOX outbreak in the country is an issue of public health emergency, thus vaccination is a strategy to prevent the public from MPOX.
Giving the severity of the disease, Dr. Demby stated that the country has recorded over 100 cases of MPOX and 2 deaths which he noted call for more action. “Even one death is a major health concern for us health authorities”. Said Dr. Demby.
Updating on the spike in cases, Dr. Demby said that though MPOX is largely preventable and treatable communities continue to record cases and for that he calld community stakeholders to join hand in the fight against MPOX as community actions can support health authorities in identifying and reporting any visible signs and symptoms of people with MPOX in communities. This he noted can also help with the treatment of patients as well as breaking the chain of transmission.
He concluding that there are cases all over Sierra Leone but Western Area Rural and western area Urban have the highest recorded cases. “MPOX is now in our communities and that we need to fight MPOX through community remedies/actions so as to limit the spread of the disease and one case of MPOX is a big risk to the family, community and the nation”.
