Health Ministry launches 5th national vaccination campaign

AMMAN — The Ministry of Health on Monday launched the first phase of a nationwide vaccination campaign, which targets unvaccinated individuals and those aged between two months and 18 years who still have not received mandatory vaccines.

Director of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Health Ayman Maqableh stressed the importance of vaccinations as one of the most effective health interventions, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Vaccine inoculation is an essential component of primary healthcare to prevent and control infectious disease outbreaks, and plays a vital role in the battle against antimicrobial resistance, he said.

According to Maqableh, this year’s campaign constitutes the ministry’s fifth national vaccination campaign in nearly 30 years, as the COVID-19 pandemic affected global vaccine supply, leading to an increase in the number of fully or partially unvaccinated children across the world. 

The campaign aims to put Jordan back on track by increasing coverage rates for routine vaccinations, including measles and rubella, polio, maternal and neonatal tetanus. The ministry aims to reach over 97 per cent coverage of all vaccines included in the programme. 

The effort also includes active monitoring for any suspected cases of acute flaccid paralysis, a symptom typically associated with polio, among other diseases.

The ministry will implement the campaign in high-risk areas with the assistance of 500 doctors from the Jordan Medical Association, Maqableh said.