The Measles-Rubella vaccination drive has so far covered 81.65% of targeted children in the district. Just three weeks ago, the figure was 37%.
Health Department officials here are now focussing on areas where the vaccination coverage is very poor due to stiff resistance from parents and local people. As the remaining children to be vaccinated are now mostly in areas of resistance, the number of vaccinations has now come down to 1,500 to 2,000 a day, officials said.
“Health officials are trying to convince those who oppose the campaign,” Reproductive Child Health Officer P.M. Jyothi said. Baseless allegations are raised against the vaccination drive, Dr. Jyothi added.
A meeting convened by District Collector Mir Mohammed Ali here recently lauded the huge rise in the vaccination coverage in the district. School authorities told the meeting of their success in converting many parents opposing vaccination to the pro-vaccination camp.
Collector’s experience
The Collector said that 95% of the parents who had met him to get his counter-signature on their letters of undertaking not to vaccinate their children returned after agreeing to vaccination. Majority of these parents did not have a clear understanding about vaccination, he said.
Though around 4.8 lakh children in the 9 months-5 years age group have been vaccinated, not a single case of vaccine-associated adverse events was reported.
The meeting decided to make arrangements for vaccination in schools where the campaign has met with opposition. Only those children with a letter of undertaking by the parent, counter-signed by the Collector, would be exempted from vaccination, the meeting decided.
