Vaccinations continue in Paraguay after yellow fever outbreak – UN agency

More than 1.27 million Paraguayans have now been vaccinated against the deadly outbreak of yellow fever in the South American country, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has reported.

Residents in all of Paraguay’s 18 departments have received vaccines, with coverage reaching as much as 83 per cent of the population in Asunción, the capital, and close to the centre of the current outbreak.

The number of confirmed cases across Paraguay has risen by six to 22 since late last month, according to an update issued by WHO on Friday. So far six people have died, while another 12 suspected cases are under investigation by health authorities.

Officials from Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru agreed at a recent joint meeting to coordinate and monitor – with the assistance of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) – yellow fever immunization activities for the populations in their border areas.

The officials also concurred that the key measure to prevent the outbreak widening further is to reduce the breeding sites for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes found throughout the region.

Yellow fever derives its name from the jaundice that affects some sufferers, who tend to experience fever, muscle pain, headaches, loss of appetite, vomiting and/or nausea. While most patients recover, the disease can be deadly and the number of infected people has risen in recent years, despite the availability of an effective vaccine.