he special State-level team set up by the Health Department to look into diphtheria outbreak in Malappuram has mooted a comprehensive strategy for the district to tackle the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases among children and adolescents.
It has suggested that rather than stigmatising the district and launching a blame game between various systems of medicines, culturally sensitive and clear messages on the need for immunisation should be disseminated amongst opinion leaders in the community, so that they can influence and initiate attitudinal changes in the community.
25 p.c. not immunised
The team, headed by Deputy Director of Health Services (H & FW) G. Sunilkumar, has assessed that while the current outbreaks at Vettannur and Kalambadi is under control, with an estimated 25 per cent of the children below five years in the district remaining not immunised or partially immunised, the possibility of future outbreaks among children and adults was high.
Three doses
“In areas where diphtheria outbreak occurred, children who are not immunised will be given three doses of Td vaccine (booster vaccine against tetanus and diphtheria) and the partially immunised, one dose of the same vaccine.
All those, including adults, who are in close contact with confirmed diphtheria cases will be given one dose of Td vaccine and a course of erythromycin tablets as prophylaxis.
We have also decided that the TT booster dose given to the 10-16 year group as part of school vaccination in Malappuram district be replaced by Td vaccine.
We are recommending that the same strategy be adopted across the State,” Dr. Sunilkumar said.
Team of experts
A team of experts, including doctors from government medical colleges and members of various professional bodies of doctors, will be set up under the leadership of the district administration and the district panchayat to guide and supervise the action plan.
Facilities have been arranged at the microbiology divisions at the Kozhikode and Manjeri medical colleges to isolate and culture the diphtheria bacterial strain and to do drug sensitivity tests, sources said.
The Health Department has also decided to chalk out a systematic and sustained information-education-communication (IEC) campaign in Malappuram district, with the involvement of local religious leaders and opinion makers to counter the strong anti-vaccination propaganda in some parts of the district.
Comprehensive strategy for Malappuram to tackle resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases
