More than 1,336 new chickenpox cases and three deaths due to complications of the disease have occurred in this year in Peru, according to the latest report of the Epidemiological Bulletin of the Ministry of Health, Minsa.
The regions with the highest incidence rate are: Lima (474), Arequipa (209), Loreto (59), Amazonas (55) and Piura (55), Expreso reported.
“The Government, through the Ministry of Health, continues a free vaccination campaign against this disease. In mid-2018, due to the high incidence since 80% of cases occur in children, the Government modified the technical standard of vaccination and extended coverage for children from 12 months to 2 years, 11 months and 29 days, with the application of a dose. We call on all parents of children under 3 years to protect their children by vaccinating them,” said the former Health Minister and pediatrician Abel Salinas, cited by the aforementioned media.
Salinas also reminded that vulnerable populations are more prone for chickenpox outbreaks and the most effective ways to fight them is by preventing the disease with vaccination.
“More than 25 countries in the world have included the chickenpox vaccine in their immunization schedule: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Uruguay, Panama, the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico”, Expreso said.
