Immunisation drive in quake zone

Bantul (Indonesia): Indonesia prepared to immunise tens of thousands of earthquake survivors against tetanus and measles, as a nearby volcano sent out fresh clouds of searing hot gas clouds and lava streams on Tuesday.

The Mount Merapi volcano added concerns in the area of central Java hardest hit by the 6.3 magnitude earthquake, which killed at least 5, 857 people and injured more than 30,000.

Activity at the mountain, which has a history of deadly explosions, increased after the quake.

The volcano is the latest in a string of natural disasters, to hit the world's fourth most populous nation in recent years.

Health workers are concerned that the estimated 647,000 people displaced by the May 27 quake, a third of whom are living in makeshift shelters with no toilets or running water, are vulnerable to diseases.

On Wednesday, the government and the World Health Organisation were to begin immunising all children under five in the quake zone against measles, said Harsaran Pandey, a WHO spokeswoman.

All adults in the quake zone would also receive a booster dose of tetanus vaccine, she said.

''There are lots of nails poking around that people can be cut on,'' she said.

Tetanus is an infection that usually originates from a contaminated wound, often a cut or deep puncture wound.

It is fatal in more than 30 per cent of cases, with even higher rates in the developing world.

Pandey said that there had already been one suspected case of the disease.

On Monday, some 200 trucks, each filled with 4,000 kilograms (4.4 tons) of rice destined for the disaster zone, left the city square in the ancient royal capital of Yogyakarta.

''The government will ensure everybody gets food,'' said Vice President Jusuf Kalla, promising 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of rice per person each month until survivors' houses were rebuilt.

The international relief effort has picked up pace in recent days, although aid has yet to reach some remote areas.

The United Nations has appealed for $103 million for recovery efforts over the next six months.

Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval because of its location on the so-called Pacific 'Ring of Fire’, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.