Over 14.5 lakh children in the State have been administered measles-rubella (MR) vaccine since the launch of the vaccination campaign in the State on October 3.
Health Department officials said that efforts were under way to rope in Muslim religious leaders in view of the resistance to the vaccination drive from parents of the community.
The vaccination of children from nine months to 15 years is expected to pick up momentum in the coming days. The figures of vaccination as on October 9 showed that 14,41,041 out of the targeted 76,13,602 children in the State had been vaccinated so far. No vaccine-associated adverse events after immunisation had been reported, they said.
Pathanamthitta tops in the MR campaign with the vaccination of 31.53% of the targeted children so far. Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram districts are closely behind with 29.36% and 29.8% respectively. The districts that are lagging behind are Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Kannur. The percentages of children vaccinated in these districts so far are 10.29%, 12.32% and 14.38% respectively. The districts whose coverage is between 15% and 20% are Kasaragod (19.74%), Kollam (19.71%), Thrissur (18.86%), Palakkad (18.05%), Ernakulam (17.24%). The vaccination percentage in the remaining districts are: Idukki (28.34%), Alappuzha (27.73%) and Wayanad (26.69%). The State level percentage is 18.93%.
Health Department officials here said that health workers, health service officials and voluntary groups were engaged in clearing misinformation about the MR vaccine being circulated, including through social media. Religious and community leaders were being taken on board to convey the importance of the vaccination to members of their congregations and parents of students in institutions, including schools and madrasas managed by them.
“There is some resistance to the vaccination drive,” said P.M. Jyothi, Reproductive Child Health Officer in Kannur. She said that she had met leaders of a Muslim congregation here on Monday to seek their support for the drive.
More religious leaders would be approached in the coming days, Dr. Jyothi said. She said that in many schools, teachers were doing yeomen services to convince children and their parents.
Health officials here said the hartal at Panur and nearby areas here on Monday had affected the conduct of vaccination camps in schools in the area.
