4.14 lakh kids to be vaccinated against measles-rubella

Tribune news Service

Bathinda, April 25

The Health Department on Wednesday convened a meeting regarding the measles and rubella vaccination campaign, which is scheduled to start in the district on May 1. The meeting was presided over by Additional Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney.

Addressing officials of the department, Civil Surgeon Dr HN Singh asked them to make sure that they supported the campaign to the fullest. He directed them to ensure that the school authorities and students were given full information about the campaign as well as the importance of the vaccination. He further added that to make the parents of students aware of the campaign, the Health Department should convene meetings with the parents at the school level.

Elaborating on the campaign, the Civil Surgeon said that the district Health Department aimed at covering 4.14 lakh children, aged between nine months and 15 years, as part of the campaign. Special teams were constituted for the campaign. School teachers, anganwari workers and Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers had been roped in for the campaign. The children who had already been vaccinated would be given an additional dose during this campaign.

Also present during the meeting were District Vaccination Officer Dr Kundan Kumar Pal and urban nodal officer Dr Pamil Bansal. They said the campaign was being started as part of the Central Government’s aim to root out measles and rubella from the country by the year 2020. In the first three phases of the campaign, close to eight crore children had been vaccinated across the country.