With Measles-Rubella vaccination camp scheduled for Monday, there is confusion in the minds of parents on whether to vaccinate their children or not.
One of the parents, a resident of Bryant Nagar, said on Sunday that it was confusing whether this vaccination was compulsory and if at all they were vaccinated, could the children attend classes on that day. The camp organisers should either conduct the vaccination drive on a holiday or declare a holiday for the school when the camp was conducted, the parent said.
Meanwhile, the district administration has stated in a release that parents need not believe any rumour about “side-effects” of the vaccine as it was safe and effective. Parents should utilise the opportunity to vaccinate their children. The objective of the government was to eliminate measles and and congenital rubella syndrome by 2020 and build up immunity in children aged between nine months and 15 years.
Measles vaccine was being given since 1985 under an universal immunisation programme and it proved to be safe. It prevented the ill-effects associated with measles virus that caused diarrhoea, pneumonia or even death among young children.
The congenital rubella syndrome in pregnancy could cause abortion, still birth and intrauterine growth retardation. A child born with rubella virus would suffer from deafness, blindness, cardiac defects, mental retardation and liver disorder.
While the State had a targeted population of 1.76 crore children, Thoothukudi district had 3,64,508 children. In Thoothukudi Corporation, it had been planned to cover 91,805 children studying in 210 government, aided, corporation, matriculation, CBSE Board, play schools, pre-KG schools, Child Labour and special schools. Two thirds of the target group were students of schools.
Three rooms would be used in a school during the vaccination drive -one for administering the vaccine and the rest for taking rest and observation. Only after getting their parent’s consent, the children would be vaccinated, said City Health Officer Pradeep V. Krishnakumar.
Twenty-one teams comprising 42 trained urban health nurses, village health nurses and sector health nurses would cover 588 vaccination sites in the 60 wards. They would also cover the 132 anganwadi centres. Indelible ink would be marked on the left thumb of the vaccinated child for identification.
