A total of 9,00,546 children were vaccinated on Monday, the first day of the mass Measles Rubella (MR) vaccination drive across the State.
On Tuesday, over 10 lakh students are estimated to have received the vaccine, said Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine K. Kolandaisamy.
While the campaign has been by and large smooth, some hiccups were reported in Chennai with some parents not bringing in their children.
Though most schools have been cooperative, some have expressed reservations, Dr. Kolandaisamy said.
“We are hoping that the parents of children who have received the vaccine will educate other parents. As of now, we are focusing on the majority of schools that are cooperating and will address the remaining ones later,” he said.
Lower than expected
Day one’s target was slightly lower than expected as there were local holidays in Tiruvannamalai and Tiruchi districts, he said.
Both days saw anxious parents and panicky students in some districts including Tiruvallur, Sivaganga, Krishnagiri, Virudhunagar, Ariyalur, Tirunelveli and Vellore, but health officials reassured all those who had come, said Dr. Kolandaisamy.
One child who was admitted to hospital in Nagapattinam after an allergic reaction on Monday had been discharged, he said, adding that the reaction was not related to the vaccine. A few children in Puducherry too experienced allergic reactions but were treated and were now fine, he said.
Two students fainted on Tuesday shortly after being administered the vaccination in Ariyalur.
The incident occurred when a team of para medical staff members were administering the MR vaccine to girl students at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School and created a panic among the fellow students, who were waiting to be vaccinated.
Some students refused to get vaccinated after the incident. Collector A. Saravanavelraj told The Hindu that both the students had recovered quickly.
The drive is targetted at covering 1.8 crore children between the ages of nine months and 15 years, and will last until February 28.
A Central government initiative that is taking place in the first phase in Karnataka, Goa, Lakshwadeep and Puducherry as well, the campaign encountered some opposition from parents who questioned why they had to vaccinate their children if they had already been immunised.
Social media messages
There were also messages circulating on social media warning parents against the vaccine.
However, State health authorities have stressed the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and have said it is necessary to try and eliminate the measles and rubella viruses from circulation in the community.
World Health Organisation teams were on the field monitoring the programme, along with senior officers of the Directorate, said Dr. Kolandaisamy.
A total of 12,000 village and urban health nurses, 415 hospitals on wheels, 770 school health teams and 3,000 doctors have been mobilised for the campaign.
Special arrangements were being made to cover the children of migrant workers, Dr. Kolandaisamy said.
Doctors associations including the Indian Medical Association, Tamil Nadu State Branch and the Indian Academy of Pediatrics, Tamil Nadu State have supported the drive.
T. N. Ravisankar, president, IMA, Tamil Nadu State Branch, said they had sent out a message to all their members about this, and also asked them to reassure parents.
IAP Tamil Nadu State president S. Thirumalai Kolundu said an official communication had been sent out to all doctors and many were displaying patient education material at their clinics.
The MR vaccine is a live, attenuated vaccine that will be administered as a 0.5 ml dose in an injection.
All vaccinations are being conducted at fixed sites only and not door to door.
