Except for those admitted to hospitals and those undergoing treatment for high fever and those who have serious infection following earlier vaccination for measles and rubella, all other children aged between nine months and 15 have to be administered Measles- Rubella vaccine during the period between February 7 and March 1, Dakshina Kannada District Health Officer Ramakrishna Rao has said.
Addressing presspersons here on Saturday, Dr. Rao said arrangements have been made to vaccinate 4.42 lakh children aged between 6 and 15 in play homes, schools and anganwadis. He said nurses, specially trained in vaccination, will administer vaccine that will help in building heard immunity against Measles and Rubella. This heard immunity was necessary to fight against Measles and Rubella that was presently noticed in virulent form and has been a cause of deaths of children and also leading to birth of deformed children.
Dr. Rao said the vaccine to be administered during the month long campaign was safe and does not cause any problem to children. Only one among 3,000 children would get mild fever one week after vaccination and it will go after three days with symptomatic treatment. He asked parents, teachers and personnel from different government departments to take part in the campaign and ensure all children in this age group are vaccinated.
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District Reproductive Child Health Officer H. Ashok said the vaccine given to children was being preserved between 2 and 8 degrees all through from the place of manufacture till the place of vaccination. A separate team of health department personnel will attend any possible adverse reaction namely vomiting to children following immunisation. Children should eat healthy food a day before and on the day of vaccination, he said.
Zilla panchayat member and chairman, ZP Committee on Health, Shahul Hameed asked people not to be carried away by false messages spreading on WhatsApp intended to derail the campaign. Mr. Hameed accused some private pharmaceutical companies of carrying out this false campaign against the programme. He sought tough action by the State government against persons involved in this “misinformation campaign.”