ArmenPress, Armenia
July 11 2005

ARMENIANS IGNORE DOCTORS’ CALLS FOR MEASLES IMMUNIZATION

YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS: Samvel Mnatsian, an epidemiologist
from Erebuni medical center, complained that many grown-up Armenians
ignore doctors’ calls for their mandatory immunization against
measles prompted by a quick spread of the disease among people from
15 to 25 year old. He said out of 650 people in Erebuni community who
the doctors identified must be immunized only 51 have visited
clinics.
One ampoule of the vaccine is intended for 10 immunization shots,
but after the ampoule is opened it should be used within one day,
becoming ineffective otherwise Mnatsian said many explain their
refusal saying they had been immunized already, but he added that the
vaccine now is of far better quality. The most vulnerable group that
may be affected by the spreading disease are children who had been
immunized 15 years ago by what he said was ‘unstable vaccines.”
He said the virus causing the measles now is different from what
it was some 20 years. Most children who get measles will have a rash,
high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes. These symptoms last
for 1 or 2 weeks. But measles also causes ear infections in nearly 1
out of every 10 children who get it. As many as 1 out of 20 children
with measles gets pneumonia. About 1 child in every 1,000 who get
measles will get encephalitis- inflammation of the brain that can
lead to convulsions, and can leave a child deaf or mentally retarded.

For every 1,000 children who get measles, 1 or 2 will die from it.
Measles can also make a pregnant woman have a miscarriage or give
birth prematurely. Measles spreads very easily from person to person.
You can get measles from an infected person who coughs or sneezes
around you or even talks to you.