The Department of Health and Family Welfare has set a target to administer the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine to as many as 4,25,769 children between 9 months to 15 years of age in the district during the vaccination drive that will be held from February 7 to 28.
Rajesh Suragihalli, District Health Officer, told presspersons here on Sunday that the vaccines will be administered to the children at 2,962 anganawadis and schools in the district.
Children who are not enrolled in anganawadis or for nursery education have been identified. Arrangements have been made to administer the vaccine to these children at the nearest primary health centre (PHC). The Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and Anganawadi workers have been entrusted with the responsibility to bring them to the PHCs, Mr. Suragihalli said.
Remote areas
He said that, as many 119 places in the district had been identified as hard-to-reach areas (HRAs). These included remote hamlets amidst dense forests in Tirthahalli and Hosanagar taluk, and places where nomadic families have set up makeshift sheds. As many as 29 special teams have been formed to administer vaccines to children in HRAs, he said.
A total number of 541 vaccinators will take part in the drive, including 308 auxiliary nurses and midwives, 112 staff nurses serving with government hospitals and 121 nurses serving with private health establishments. They were provided with prior training on the procedures to be followed while administering the MR vaccine, he said.
P.S. Machado, Deputy Director, Department of Public Instruction, said that classes will be called off on the day of vaccination in schools. A nodal officer has been appointed for each school to monitor the vaccination process. The officer will prepare a list of children who are absent on the day. The vaccine will be administered to such children at the nearest PHC at a later date, he said.
Apprehensive parents
Mr. Machado said that parents of students of some unaided private schools in Shivamogga city had expressed their apprehension about the vaccination drive. Meetings were held at such schools, during which officials from the Departments of Public Instruction, Health and Family Welfare succeeded in convincing the parents to get their wards administered with the vaccine, he added.
