More than 78,000 students were administered vaccine against Japanese Encephalitis (JE) on the first day of the three-week-long vaccination drive in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts on Monday.
Dakshina Kananda and Udupi are among the 10 districts with low prevalence of JE viral disease where the three-week-long vaccination drive has been taken up for those aged between one and 15. The drive is also being held simultaneously in Hassan, Tumakuru, Haveri, Gadag, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Bagalkot, and Ramanagaram.
In the first week, students in the schools will be vaccinated with 0.5 ml of inactivated vaccine. In the second week, it will be given in anganwadis and the last week will be the mop-up round.
A total of 47,011 students were vaccinated in Dakshina Kannada on Monday. Of this, 26,437 were in the 10-15 age category, 17,712 in the 5-10 age category and 2,862 in 1-5 age category. Highest of 21,533 children were covered in Mangaluru taluk, 7,456 in Bantwal, 6,877 in Belthangady, 6,233 in Puttur, and 4,912 in Sullia taluks. Dakshina Kannada district administration has set a target of vaccinating 4.73 lakh children.
Dakshina Kannada District Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Officer B.V. Rajesh said in some schools students had not turned up on Monday. There was also diffidence among some parents to get their wards vaccinated against JE.
“We are making parents aware of the need for children to get vaccinated against JE as there are good number of culex mosquitoes in the district, which carries JE. This is a old and safe vaccine, which will not cause any complications among children,” Dr. Rajesh said and added that children would come forward for vaccination in the next few days.
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner M.R. Ravikumar and Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Kumara launched the vaccination drive at St. Aloysius School, Narayana Guru (Lady Hill) Circle, here on Monday morning.
A total of 31,343 students were vaccinated in Udupi district on Monday. Of this, 13,579 were from Udupi taluk, 11,125 from Kundapura taluk, and 6,639 children from Karkala taluk. The Udupi district administration has set a target of vaccinating 2.18 lakh children. More than 50 parents called the helpline (9449843213) on Sunday and Monday to clarify the vaccine.
Udupi Deputy Commissioner M. Kurma Rao launched the vaccination drive in Board High School in Udupi. District Health and Family Welfare Officer Nagabhushan Udupa, District RCH Officer Rama, and Deputy Director, Women and Child Welfare, Veena Vivekanand, attended the event.
