The campaign is aimed at keeping stable epidemic situation on these diseases and ensuring immune balance among population.

Within the campaign, which will last till 18 September 2011, it is planned to vaccinate 8 million children at the age between 1 and 14. All children will be vaccinated, even they received vaccine earlier. Additional dose of vaccine will strengthen child immunity.

Deputy Healthcare Minister and Senior State Sanitary Doctor Saydmurod Saydaliev said that the campaign is logical continuation of the first round of immunization against measles and rubella, which took place in 2006 and 2007. He said that the first round covered 11 million people at the age between 11 and 30.

He underlined that the Ministry at the support of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) purchased 8.8 million dozes of the vaccines against measles and rubella and syringes.

Saydaliev said that the vaccines, produced at Serum Institute (India), were imported to Uzbekistan and delivered to centers for sanitary and epidemiology control of Karakalpakstan, regions and Tashkent city with adhering to “cold chain” rules.

He said that medical employees also participated in seminars on diseases, diagnosis and treatment to organize safe immunization during the campaign. He said that 8,600 teams for vaccination and over 7,762 vaccination points were created. Some 9,000 doctors and 14,962 nurses will participate in the Immunization Days.

Jean-Michel Delmotte, head of the UNICEF office in Uzbekistan, said that the organizations contributed to the campaign with communication products. UNICEF helped to produce 2,500 banners, 2.5 million flyers, 5,000 booklets for vaccinators, teachers, children and nurses, radio and video clips, etc.

Michel Tailhades, head of WHO Office in Uzbekistan, said that the WHO guarantees quality of imported vaccines to Uzbekistan with special certificate.

Measles and rubella are highly contagious viral diseases. The diseases can also bring to serious complications such as deafness and blindness, encephalitis, heart problems. They can also result in death.