Over 3 lakh children left unvaccinated

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 18

Though the official deadline for measles-rubella (MR) vaccination drive got over on Sunday but the Health Department has extended the campaign as 9.29 lakh children could be vaccinated against a target of 12.55 lakh during a six week drive.

Dr Jasbir Singh, district immunisation officer said, “The drive is still on in the city. The campaign started on May 1 and our target was to vaccinate 12.55 lakh kids in the district and till now we have been able to vaccinate 9.29 lakh kids.”

Outreach camps are being organised to reach the children who have not been vaccinated till date. Moreover, assistance of religious institutes and social organisations were also being taken to vaccinate those kids who do not go to school. Even private hospitals have been provided with kits and asked to vaccinate children coming to their hospitals.

District Immunisation Officer said, “The video that went viral in social media during the commencement of drive created lot of problems.”

“People, especially from rural belt were reluctant in getting their kids vaccinated after the video went viral which said that kids were being made impotent by giving this injection. Most of the kids whose parents earlier refused vaccination are now being covered,” he said.

Kids falling in the age group of 9 months to 15 years are being vaccinated during the drive and there has been no door to door vaccination.

“Till now, we have received no official intimation from the government to stop the drive, so we are continuing it and the drive will be stopped only after we are intimated about the same,” he said.

Know measles-rubella

• MR is highly contagious viral disease which spreads after coming in a contact of an infected person through cough and sneeze. 
• Measeles infection is followed by high fever, rashes which spread over the body, cough, running nose and red watery eyes. Rubella is a mild viral infection that occurs most often in children. 
• Rubella infection during pregnancy can cause abortion, stillbirth and may lead to multiple birth defects in the newborn, including blindness, deafness and heart defects.