The Kousseri vaccination campaign took place between February 13 and 17 2008. During the campaign over 35,000

infant An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...

s and

child A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...

ren were vaccinated against

measles Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by measles virus. Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days. Initial symptoms typically include fever, often greater than , cough, ...

poliomyelitis Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe sym ...

or both in Cameroon's north-eastern district of Kousséri, in an operation led by the Cameroon Ministry of Health, the United Nations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), such as Médecins Sans Frontières – Switzerland (MSF-CH). The UN Resident Coordinator, Sophie de Caen, stated that this was in response to the influx of

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

ian

refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

s into the northeast Cameroon earlier in February 2008, in the aftermath of the Battle of N'Djamena, as the potential for epidemics substantially increases whenever there are population movements. Following fighting in the

ian capital N'Djamena, which erupted on February 2, at least 30,000

ians crossed into Cameroon, reaching Kousséri in northeast Cameroon. Most found refuge in two temporary sites, while many others were hosted in schools, churches, and private homes, according to the United Nations. The vaccination campaign targeted all children of applicable ages in Kousséri, ensuring protection for Cameroonian and refugee children alike. All children aged six months to 15 years were vaccinated against measles, and all children under 5, including newborns, were vaccinated against poliomyelitis. Figures released on 21 February 2008 show that a total of 35,615 children were vaccinated against poliomyelitis, while 32,624 were vaccinated against measles. Vitamin A supplement tablets were also provided to approximately 34,000 children along with the vaccinations.

References

''Cameroon: Over 35,000 children vaccinated against polio and measles''
(press release), United Nations, 21 February 2008 Health in Cameroon {{Med-stub