Rumours of vasectomy hit MR vaccination

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Palwal, May 25

Residents of villages in Hathin subdivision are reportedly opposing the measles-rubella vaccination drive on the back of rumours that the state government is running a vasectomy drive.

The target is to complete the drive is May 31, but the Health Department fears it will miss the deadline.

Dr Yogesh Malik, District Immunisation Officer (DIO), said 50 per cent of villages in the subdivision had been covered. “The pace of the vaccination drive has been slow because villagers believe it to be a vasectomy measure. Poor literacy rate among villagers is to be blamed for this,” he said.

“Teams of the Health Department have been told to vaccinate all children between nine months and 15 years,” said sources. Only a few parents had come forward to get their children immunised, they claimed.

“In a couple of villages, residents forced the teams to return without vaccinating a single child,” an employee of the department said on the condition of anonymity.

He said the department had been forced to rope in senior officials of other departments to carry out an awareness drive and persuade village elders to get children immunised as it was not harmful as believed by a section of population in the region.

Matehpur, Chhainsa, Malai, Kot, Utawar, Raniyala Khurd, Lakhnaka, Ali Meo, Rupraka and Jhanda are some of the villages where opposition has been reported.

Dr Bir Singh Sehrawat, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Palwal, said 67 per cent of children in the subdivision had been immunised. “The drive will continue till all 3.71 lakh children are not vaccinated,” he said.

He also admitted residents of some villages had opposed the vaccination drive.