JUBA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's health ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday launched a reactive yellow fever vaccination campaign in Sakure, Nzara County of Gbudue State to vaccinate 19,578 individuals aged nine months to 65 years.
The vaccination campaign followed the declaration of a yellow fever outbreak on Nov. 29, where a total of three laboratories confirmed cases with no deaths having been reported after investigations were carried out in Sakure.
Olushayo Olu, WHO representative for South Sudan, said the reactive yellow fever vaccination is part of the global strategy to Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics (EYE) by 2026.
"It serves to protect high-risk populations against the YF virus in the immediate term and will serve as a bridge towards the introduction of yellow fever vaccine into the routine immunization system in the long term," Olu said in a statement issued in Juba.
South Sudan last experienced a yellow fever outbreak in May 2003, posting a total of 178 cases with 27 deaths in Imatong State, WHO said.
