The Health Department has set up an experts’ team, including public health experts from the department and doctors from the medical college, to launch immediate and emergency diphtheria prevention and control measures in Malappuram district where two adolescents were lost to the infection.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting held at the Directorate of Health Services here on Friday.
The team, led by Additional Director of Health Services G. Sunil Kumar, includes State Epidemiologist A. Sukumaran and senior doctors from the departments of Community Medicine, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, a senior paediatrician and other health officials.
To evaluate measures
Director of Health Services R. Ramesh has directed the team to evaluate and assess the diphtheria prevention and control measures that had been launched in Malappuram last year at the district, block, panchayat levels.
Immunisation activities
Disease surveillance and immunisation activities will be strengthened in areas from where the infection has been reported and all children in schools and madrasas who may have come into contact with the deceased children or may have any clinical signs of the infection will be given the Td vaccine and antibiotics.
This activity will be taken up by the health workers, anganwadi workers and school health nurses under Arogya Keralam.
The health teams led by medical officers will visit the affected areas on a daily basis and lead the immunisation activities.
