Half mln children to be vaccinated against Japanese Encephalitis in Myanmar's Rakhine state

YANGON, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- About 586,744 children aged between 9 months and 5 years in Myanmar's Rakhine state including remote areas will be vaccinated against Japanese Encephalitis (JE) on Dec. 11 to 21, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Friday.

At present, about 353,741 such children in Sittwe, MraukU, Maungtaw, Kyaukphyu and Thandwe in Rakhine state are being vaccinated under the people-based vaccination programme against JE.

Under the program, the health authorities are also vaccinating 251,983 children in remote areas.

So far, a total of 470,580 children between the age of 5 years and 15 years, including those in remote border areas, have been vaccinated under the Rakhine state programme from Nov. 15 to 23.

Japanese Encephalitis virus is maintained in a cycle involving mosquitoes and vertebrate hosts, mainly pigs and wading birds. Humans can be infected when bitten by an infected mosquito.

Some infected patients will develop neurological symptoms including tremors, seizures (especially among children), as well as mental status changes and movement disorders.

Japanese Encephalitis can be fatal in 20 to 30 percent of cases and most of survivors continue to have neurologic, cognitive or psychiatric symptoms.