In the wake of reports of positive cases of Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), also known as monkey fever, in Kudumallige Gram Panchayat limits in Tirthahalli taluk, the Department of Health and Family Welfare has intensified its ongoing vaccination drive.
The first round of vaccination for 2016-17 commenced in the third week of December and is expected to conclude by the end of January. The department plans to administer vaccine to around 40,000 persons; it has covered 18,500 so far. According to the guidelines, vaccines will be administered to people in a 15-km radius of the human habitat where a positive case has been reported. The aim is to cover 110 villages in Tirthahalli, Hosanagar and Sagar taluks.
In Shivamogga district, a person has died and 41 positive cases of KFD were reported in 2015. In 2016, there was one death and 13 cases. Eight positive cases were reported in Kudumallige Gram Panchayat limits in December.
Officials of the Health Department, accredited social health activists, and anganwadi workers are taking up a door-to-door campaign in Kudumallige and surrounding villages to create awareness among the people on the importance of vaccination. Special vaccination camps were held at primary health centres in Kudumallige, Bejjavalli and Konandur villages this month to tackle spread of the disease.
S.K. Kiran, field medical officer of the department, told The Hindu that there is ample stock of vaccine at the PHCs in the affected areas. The supplementary round of vaccination will be held from the third week of February to the end of March, under which the vaccine will be administered to those not covered in the first round, he said.
