The Ministry of Health will launch at the beginning of the new academic year a national campaign for immunizing first class students in primary schools against a set of diseases. The campaign is launched within the MOH efforts to eradicate measles, rubella, and mumps - the diseases defined by WHO Eastern Mediterranean office to be eradicated by 2010 - from all parts of the Kingdom.
According to the Minister of Health Dr. Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Mane, the campaign also includes immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and oral polio.
He said the campaign aims at strengthening childhood immunity and keeping up the spreading of diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough at their low level, in addition to preserving the polio free status of the Kingdom.
In the same context, the MOH Undersecretary for Preventive Medicine Dr. Khalid Al-Zahrani said coordination has been made with the Ministry of Education to reach a coverage percentage of 95% of the targeted population, which is estimated by half a million students.
He said the campaign will start on October 18, 2008 and continue for five weeks.