Parents in Southern Thailand Urged to Get Children Vaccinated for Measles

YALA – Parents in southern Yala have been urged to take their children to hospital to receive a measles vaccination.

Residents of Yala’s Sateng Nok sub-district have been attending a local hospital with their children following an awareness campaign by the local authority, encouraging parents of children aged between nine months and five years to have them vaccinated.

The campaign, which was jointly launched by local health officials, the office of the mayor, and religious leaders, has called on all parents to take their children to be vaccinated against measles at the government-operated Sateng Nok Sub-district Health Promoting Hospital, which is open daily.

The awareness campaign was introduced in Sateng Nok sub-distract, where residents comprise people from various areas while many religious families still oppose the concept of vaccination.

The director of the Sateng Nok Sub-district Health Promoting Hospital has reportedly been trying to persuade families that have previously rejected vaccination, but to no avail. He has now asked local leaders to help with the move in order to prevent a possible spread of measles among children both within and outside the community.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease, which affects mostly children. It is transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons. Initial symptoms, which usually appear 10–12 days after infection, include high fever, runny nose, bloodshot eyes, and tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth.

Several days later, a rash develops, starting on the face and upper neck and gradually spreading downwards.