Polio and Measles in the Congo

An article written on March 30^th, 2011 discusses how measles has become an epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since September 2010 there have been a reported 21,000 cases of the disease. Although 1.5 million children have been vaccinated against the measles, it still continues to spread, causing blindness, pneumonia, dehydration, and in some cases, death. In 2010, the Congo also experienced a severe outbreak of Polio, causing 201 cases of paralysis and a shocking 104 deaths. Efforts have been made to vaccinate individuals in Congo, but the vaccination is typically only given to children. So, adults may contract the disease. Immediate effort needs to be taken in response to the outbreak of both of these diseases.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/30/measles-out-of-control-in_n_842462.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/world/africa/10polio.html