Global NGO Project HOPE Delivers MMR II Vaccine to Philippines to Combat Resurgence of Measles Ahead of First Anniversary of Devastating Typhoon

The global NGO Project HOPE announced it will be delivering 110,050 doses of the MMR II vaccine to hospitals and clinics in the Philippines as health authorities combat resurgence of measles ahead of the first anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan.

The MMR II vaccine was donated by Merck and Co., Inc., known as MSD outside of the US and Canada. MMR II (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Virus Vaccine Live) is a live virus vaccine for vaccination against measles (rubeola), mumps, and rubella (German Measles).

“The vaccine was requested by the Philippines Department of Health to support its nationwide campaign to prevent new outbreaks in certain areas of the country.  Project HOPE will monitor the process of opening, storing and later distributing the vaccine,” said Scott Crawford, Director, Gifts-In-Kind, Humanitarian Assistance and Logistics.

Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yolanda, struck Southeast Asia on November 8 last year and was one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded.  It was the deadliest Philippine typhoon killing at least 6,300 people and causing widespread damage to the health infrastructure.

Project HOPE, a global health education and humanitarian assistance organization, delivered more than USD$23 million-worth of donated medicines and medical supplies and deployed more than 80 Project HOPE medical volunteers to assist local medical staff in the badly damaged areas of Tapaz on Panay Island and the Camotes Islands. The NGO launched a three-year program in April this year to improve community access to quality maternal and child health services for vulnerable populations within the Philippines.

Project HOPE has played a crucial role in saving lives in regions hit by natural disasters over much of the last decade, in Haiti, Indonesia, Japan, China and other parts of Southeast Asia.

About Project HOPE

Founded in 1958, Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere) is dedicated to providing lasting solutions to health problems with the mission of helping people to help themselves. Identifiable to many by the SS HOPE, the world’s first peacetime hospital ship, Project HOPE now provides medical training and health education, as well as conducts humanitarian assistance programs in more than 30 countries. Follow us on Twitter at projecthopeorg.    www.projecthope.org