An emergency meeting of health workers will be held in all panchayats and municipalities in Malappuram district on Sunday to chalk out plans to achieve total immunisation cover for the district. Over 1.32 lakh children in the district are either totally or partially unimmunized.
A meeting convened by District Collector Venkatesapathy S. here on Saturday decided to make resolute moves to address the issue of backwardness in immunisation.
Five cases of diphtheria were reported in the district in recent days. When two children died, three have been undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode.
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Plans will be drafted at ward level by involving ward councillors, junior health inspectors, junior public health nurses, volunteers, social workers, community and religious leaders and doctors.
“We will be able to tackle the problem more effectively at ward level,” Mr. Venkatesapathy said.
All houses will be covered to ensure immunisation for all children below 16 years of age. More than 30 per cent of the children below 16 years of age have gone unimmunized in the district.
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Meetings of school PTAs will be convened in the presence of respective medical officers and parents be given awareness about the importance of immunisation. Special vaccination camps will be held in schools. Those below seven years of age will be given the routine immunisation, and those below 16 years and above seven years of age will be given TD (tetanus-diphtheria) vaccine.
“We intend to achieve total coverage in two weeks,” Mr. Venkatesapathy said.