The three-phased campaign to administer Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine for children aged nine months to 15 years commenced in Vellore district on Monday. The State-wide vaccination drive will go on till February 28.
On day one, as many as 31,096 children in Vellore Health Unit Division (HUD) and nearly 21,300 children in Tirupattur HUD received vaccination in schools. Collector S.A. Raman launched the vaccination drive at the Government Higher Secondary School, Konavattam.
The immunisation drive was conducted in 80 schools.
In Tirupattur HUD, vaccination was administered to students in 30 schools. While a coverage of 80 % was achieved in urban areas, 85 % coverage was achieved in rural areas, officials said.
The Health Department plans to vaccinate nearly 10 lakh children aged nine months to 15 years in Vellore district. Of these, seven lakh children will be covered through schools, while the remaining three lakh children, who are not of school-going age, will be covered through special camps. All vaccinated children will be marked with ink on their finger.
In the first phase, the vaccine will be administered in schools, while in the second phase it will be administered through anganwadi centres and mobile teams. In the third phase, children, who missed the vaccination in schools and villages, will be identified and immunised.
Apart from 600 staff members, 2,000 anganwadi workers and volunteers of Lions Club, Rotary Club and Indian Red Cross Society have been roped in, a press release said.
Officials have been appointed to supervise the vaccination drive. This included supervisors from World Health Organisation and from the Centre, State and block levels. For details on places where the campaign was is held, people can call 93614 83603, 0416-2252025 and 104 health helpline.
The MR vaccine would be included in the routine immunisation schedule from March. Officials said action would be taken against those who spread false information about the vaccination.
E. Kalivaradhan, Joint Director of Medical and Rural Health Services, Vellore and K.S.T. Suresh, Deputy Director of Health Services, Vellore, were present during the inauguration of the vaccination drive.
Mild discomfort
Three Class IX students complained of discomfort after vaccination in a government school at Sathuvachari. But health officials said it was panic reaction and they were taken to a private hospital and kept under observation for 30 minutes. They became normal after a while.
“While one of the students complained of cough and discomfort, the other two complained of giddiness on seeing the first student,” an official said.
