Moshi — KILIMANJARO Region is expected to vaccinate about 51,539 children next month.

Speaking to reporters, Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner, Mr Leonidas Gama, said the provision of that vaccine to all children under 5 years will start in all districts in the region next month.

He urged parents and guardians in the region to take their children to get Rotavirus vaccine for the prevention of diarrhoea and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV 13) for prevention of pneumonia. He said the children will be vaccinated twice, according to the procedures of the Rotavirus vaccine and pneumonia vaccine.

He said a total of 294 health centres will be used to provide vaccination and called all local government leaders, clerics and political leaders to convince parents to take their children for innoculation. Mr Gama said in Kilimanjaro Region statistics shows in 2011, a total of 119,701 children were admitted to different hospitals suffering from pneumonia and diarrhoea.

"Last year we also lost 184 children under five year due to pneumonia and 258 others to diarrhoea, so parents should take appropriate measures to stop this problem," he said. "Rotavirus vaccine dose is taken twice when the child reaches six weeks and at the age ten weeks while PCV13 is taken thrice starting from six weeks, ten and fourteen weeks," Mr Gama said.

"All preparations are going well and we expect to start the exercise early next month, because these two diseases have been affecting many children under five years," he said.