A Swedish reinforced mechanized infantry company of 240 troops will go to Liberia in March to join the Irish battalion in UNMIL for a 12 month rotation. An advance force of 50 troops will leave on February 25.
International health agencies launched an emergency vaccination campaign, after three confirmed and 11 suspected cases of the potentially fatal Yellow Fever viral illness were found. The mortality rate for Yellow Fever can be as high as 50 percent, even among hospitalized patients. There are fewer than 80,000 doses of Yellow Fever vaccine available in Liberia, while 722,000 people above 6 months of age need the shot. - Adam Geibel