The Department of Health and Family Welfare will launch a measles-rubella vaccination campaign covering over 3.7 lakh children between the age of nine months and 15 years today. The department has trained 472 staff members to administer the vaccination in the district.
R. Venkatesh, District Health Officer, told presspersons, here on Monday, that the campaign would continue till February 28. “In the first week, the campaign will be held in schools. In the second week, outreach stations will be covered. The third week would be devoted to those children who were missed out in the first two days,” he said.
The eradication of measles and rubella is the main objective of the campaign. Meetings with parents had been convened in all schools to spread awareness on the need for the vaccination. Every child should get vaccinated to make the programme a success, Dr. Venkatesh said.
H.L. Janardana, District Officer for Reproduction and Child Health, said there was breakout of rubella in Hassan last year. There have been reports of measles in the district in recent days too. “Even if a child has already been administered the vaccination, this will serve as a booster dose. We will convince those parents who refuse to have their children vaccinated,” he said.
