With the target of eradicating measles by 2020 and controlling rubella, the measles-rubella vaccination drive kicked off in Mysuru on Tuesday.
The aim is to vaccinate 7,95,787 children in the age group of nine months to 15 years in Mysuru district, including 2,99,607 in the city. Ahead of the formal launch of the campaign, an awareness jatha was inaugurated at the office of the District Health Officer. It was flagged off by Deputy Commissioner D. Randeep.
Karnataka is among the few States identified for launching the MR campaign, a national programme, in the first phase.
Schools will be covered in the first week of the campaign, followed by anganwadi centres, health centres and other places in the remaining two weeks.
More than 3,078 schools have been identified under the campaign, for which 722 health workers and 236 supervisors have been appointed for programme execution. Monitoring committees have been constituted at the district and taluk levels to ensure that the campaign’s success.
Railway division’s backing
Atul Gupta, Divisional Railway Manager, South Western Railway, Mysuru division, on Tuesday launched the measles-rubella vaccination campaign from the South Western Railway Hospital premises. Eighty children in the age group of nine months to 15 years of Bharathi Sthree Samaja and Government high school and higher primary school were administered the vaccine.
The hospital has set a target of vaccinating over 1,500 children, including 400 children of Lalitha Railway School, in this phase of the campaign.
Mr. Gupta, speaking on the occasion, lauded the efforts of the South Western Railway Hospital for eradicating measles and rubella through this immunization campaign. He also urged parents to come forward and get their children vaccinated.
A photo exhibition was also organised at the hospital. A skit was performed by the staff of South Western Railway to spread awareness on the need to have the vaccination administered to children and protect them from these life-threatening diseases.
