Republic of Mauritius- Anti-influenza vaccination exercise for winter 2019 kicks off

In his address, Minister Sinatambou highlighted that for this year, the Ministry has bought 75 000 doses of vaccine to the tune of some Rs 15 million. He stated that the elderly population and people with disabilities should take all necessary precautions as they are more vulnerable and prone to seasonal influenza. He consequently appealed to each and every person eligible to get themselves vaccinated to take full advantage of the current vaccination exercise for a healthier lifestyle.

Furthermore, the Minister spoke of the various measures that Government is providing to cater for the needs of the vulnerable group of the society.  To this end, he underlined that the basic pension scheme has been increased from Rs 3 500 in 2014 to Rs 6 210 in 2019.

Speaking about cases of elderly abuse, Mr Sinatambou indicated that there are several Elderly Watch Committees spread around Mauritius to promote the welfare of the elderly and there are hotlines, namely 199 and 172, which are available to report cases of elderly abuse. On this score, he urged the elderly population not to tolerate any type of abuse and accordingly report such cases when they occur.

Vaccination campaign 2019

The vaccination campaign, which will end on 16 May 2019, will provide coverage all throughout Mauritius.  Vaccines will be provided to elderly persons aged 60 and above, children with disabilities attending specialised schools and inmates of charitable institutions and private licensed homes.

A calendar has been established to ensure the coverage of the whole country. The vaccination programme will also be carried out in Rodrigues and Agalega. The public will be able to get vaccinated in several Area Health Centres, Social Welfare and Community Centres, Mediclinics, and regional hospitals across Mauritius.