The district will witness an intensive measles-rubella vaccination campaign as part of a national programme to eradicate the diseases. The drive will begin on October 3. There are 6,76,106 children in the age group of 9 months to 15 years who will be administered the vaccine. The vaccine will be taken primarily in schools, anganwadis, other outreach and mobile units.
District Collector K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla said in a press meet that preparations for the drive were in the final phase. All government, aided and private schools, anganwadis, madrasas and government healthcare institutions such as primary health centres and taluk hospitals will be part of the drive.
Kerala is the fourth State to participate in the national campaign. Safe measures such as disposable syringes, and services of trained nurses had been ensured for the drive, he said. Mr. Safirulla, Health officials and members of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics had directly spoken to the school managements and Parent-Teacher Associations who had opposed the drive, said a Health official.
Most of the hurdles were caused by the misinformation spread through social media against vaccinations and individual opinions expressed through newspapers, which were not backed by any scientific finding, said P.N.N. Pisharody, District Trainer, National Health Mission for Reduction in Infant Mortality Rate.
Vaccination drives were conducted across the world based on scientific findings on how they had brought down the morbidity and infant mortality rates, said Dr. Pisharody, former IAP State president.
Measles has been notified by the World Health Organisation as a preventable communicable disease in children against which vaccination is recommended. Around 40,000 measles deaths have been reported in the country, according to the information provided by district Health officials. District Medical Officer N.K. Kuttappan provided technical details about the disease. In the district, 207 cases of measles were reported till August this year, and 103 cases in 2016.
“Rubella or German measles, which is not considered fatal, is the reason for large number of congenital birth defects in children. If a woman is affected by rubella in the first trimester of the pregnancy, the child she carries will be affected by congenital birth defects of the heart, ear or other disabilities resulting in mental retardation and other defects,” said Dr. Pisharody.
According to the Health Department, the immunisation coverage is about 88% and the vaccination drive is expected to increase the coverage by at least 92-95%, which will in turn increase the herd immunity of the children against the disease.
There will be 7,892 sessions of the vaccination drive, with the first two weeks dedicated to schools, in which 5,299 institutions will be involved.
There will be 1,346 outreach sessions, 478 mobile sessions and 787 hospital sessions. The drive will be on till November 3. District Deputy DMO K.R. Vidya said that arrangements had been made to reach out to the children in the tribal belt in Kuttampuzha, Pezhala, which does not have road accessibility, and children of migrant workers spread out in the district at various places.
District Education Officer K.K.Lalitha, IAP State president M.N. Venkiteshwaran, district president Sivaprasasd and IMA Kochi president M. Narayanan were among those who participated.
