by Dr. Henry Hood, M.D.
Saturday morning, November 19:
Wasim (International Medical Corps’ Director of Logistics) and I decided to deliver the lab tables, pharmacy shelves, generator, electrical cord and water tanks we had procured to International Medical Corps’ two health clinics located at the Bessian and Ghari Habibullah camps.The Bessian camp was running smoothly. Ghari Habibullah, however, was another story. Dr. Jammil, the attending physician, had diagnosed eight cases of measles in children at the camp in the previous thirty-six hours. Measles is highly contagious and frequently a lethal disease for children under the age of one. While we were discussing the problem, the WHO epidemiology officer (an Australian named James) arrived. After reconfirming the diagnosis, we decided that every child in the camp needed to be vaccinated against measles immediately. In addition, the children would need to receive oral vitamin A supplements to reduce the risk of mortality from the disease.
We had a very helpful meeting with Colonel Massoud, the Pakistan army official in charge of the camp. The army would erect four open shelters for mass vaccination and make sure the children were lined up at an agreed-upon time. All children from 6 months to 15 years of age would be vaccinated. James would procure adequate vaccine and vitamin A from WHO and cold chain equipment (cold boxes for vaccine storage) from UNICEF. International Medical Corps would provide the staff of nurses and immunizers for the work and perform record-keeping activities. James felt confident he could have the vaccines and cold boxes on site within 24 hours. We would begin immunizing children at noon on Sunday.
I informed Edi (an International Medical Corps staff member) and Jeff Goodman (a fellow International Medical Corps volunteer physician) of the measles outbreak and the proposed intervention. Both felt we should immediately vaccinate the children at Bessian camp as well. Edi also wanted each child to have a piece of candy after his or her injection.
Sunday morning, on the way to Ghari Habibullah, I bought large bags of candy at the market. I arrived at the camp at 11:30 a.m. to find four lines of families assembled at the just-erected open shelters. Four International Medical Corps immunizers were seated at tables with boxes of disposable syringes and the vaccines. International Medical Corps nurses were assisting with record sheets, boxes for disposing of the needles, bottles of vitamin A and other necessary equipment. James from WHO was there, along with a UNICEF officer. James agreed that International Medical Corps should immunize the children at Bessian camp immediately after finishing at Ghari Habibullah.
Mass vaccination began promptly at noon. One nurse recorded each child’s name, age and tent number. Each child then received the vaccine, vitamin A and a piece of candy. The needles and syringes were carefully discarded after use. The whole process was efficient and orderly. We were finished by 3:30 pm, vaccinating over 750 children.
I cannot express the joy I felt watching the International Medical Corps teams at work. These were men and women International Medical Corps has trained to care for their own people. It was the greatest demonstration of the International Medical Corps mission I have ever witnessed.
The next day (Monday) we conducted mass immunization for measles at the Bessian camp. In the ensuing days, James from WHO called on International Medical Corps to bring our immunizers to several camps and villages where measles outbreaks were developing.