Over 700,000 people given oral cholera vaccine in Rohingya

The WHO has administered oral cholera vaccine to over 700,000 people in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar area, the world's second largest oral cholera vaccination drive by the world health body.
The first phase of the campaign to protect the Rohingyas and host communities from the diarrhoeal disease was launched on October 10.
It has covered 700,487 people aged one year and above and 179,848 of them are children between one and five, WHO Representative to Bangladesh N Paranietharan said.
The second phase is scheduled for early November to give an additional OCV dose to children aged between one and five, for added protection.

It is the world's second largest oral cholera vaccination drive by the WHO.
"The coverage is commendable as the oral cholera vaccination campaign was planned and rolled out against very tight timelines."

"It demonstrates the commitment of the Ministry of Health, Bangladesh, partners on the ground, as well as partners such as GAVI and the International Coordinating Group on vaccine provision, to help secure the health and wellbeing of these immensely vulnerable people," Paranietharan said.
"We will organise another round for these children to provide them with a second dose that will better protect them against this dangerous disease, Edouard Beigbeder," the UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh said.

The vaccination campaign supplements other preventive measures, such as increased access to safe water, adequate sanitation and good hygiene.