PAHO has donated 1.17 million doses of Evichol Cholera vaccine to the poverty-stricken country of Haiti which has also been battling a rampant outbreak of Cholera.
The organization confirmed that the vaccines were in response to a request by Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP). It was provided by the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision (IGC).
The vaccine campaign will begin in the next few days, and will target everyone over the age of one year in Cite Soleil, Delmas, Tabarre, Carrefour and Port-au-Prince in the Ouest Department and Mirebalais in the Centre Department.
“Haiti has experience in managing cholera, but the fragile security situation has slowed down response efforts, so the arrival of these vaccines is most welcome,” said PAHO’s director, Dr Carissa F. Etienne.
“PAHO has been working with Haiti since the resurgence of cholera and will continue to support the national authorities to quickly distribute vaccines, monitor cases and provide life-saving care,” said the Dominican-born official.
So far, there have been 1,220 confirmed cases and over 280 deaths due to cholera, with over 14,100 suspected cases.
