There was poor attendance in many schools in the city on Friday, allegedly the consequence of the measles-rubella (MR) vaccination drive.
According to a few parents, many of the schools had instructed students not to come to school if they developed fever or irritation of any kind. Many parents said the children spent their day playing cricket and kabbadi soon after they were asked to remain at home.
According to sources in private schools in Kuvempunagar, Saraswathinagar and T.K. Layout, 30-40% of the students were absent on Friday and the schools received leave letters from many parents stating that their wards were complaining of uneasiness after being administered the vaccine.
Although the Health Department has clarified that the vaccine was safe, the authorities at some schools have made an informal announcement that students who would develop fever or swelling need not come to school. They have also directed the parents of such children to get them examined at a hospital.
S. Gopinath, Reproductive Child Health Officer, said a few “weak children” may experience mild side-effects but no one in the district so far has complained of any serious illness after being vaccinated. Adverse Events Following Immunisation kits have also been supplied to the teams assigned to carry out the vaccination drive, he said. Mr. Gopinath said he is in constant touch with the two medical hospitals and the paediatricians in the city and has so far not received any report of students falling ill after being vaccinated.
The vaccination drive is under way with the target of eradicating measles by 2020 and controlling rubella. In the district, the authorities’ aim is to vaccinate 7,95,787 children in the age group of nine months to 15 years.
