On Saturday a nationwide measles vaccination campaign rolled out and hopes to reach at least seven million children.The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) Ministry of Public Health said.

Afghan Voice Agency(AVA)_Monitoring, Public Health Ministry officials said the campaign will run for 10 days and that vaccination teams have been set up at mosques, schools and health centers.

“Mobile measles vaccination teams have come to mosques, schools and health centers. Please vaccinate your children between the ages of nine months and five years for free,” said Qalandar Ebad, Public Health minister.

Sharafat Zaman, the spokesperson of MoPH meanwhile said the aim of this campaign is to save the lives of children who are exposed to measles and emphasized that the vaccine will help to prevent deaths caused by measles among children.

“In this campaign, about seven million children will be vaccinated throughout the country, which covers 10 days, and its goal is to eradicate measles,” said Zaman.

According to doctors, measles is highly contagious, and on average, each person with this disease infects fifteen other healthy people. “If children get measles, it causes all family members to be infected. Therefore, we recommend families to vaccinate their children,” said Munir, a doctor.

A number of families are happy with the start of the campaign, but say in some cases, despite the use of the vaccine, their children have been infected with this disease.