District Collector Amit Meena kicked off the district-level vaccination campaign against Measles and Rubella at St. Gemmas Higher Secondary School here on Tuesday.
More than 1.26 million children in Malappuram are being targeted largely through their schools in the month-long vaccination drive called MR campaign. The campaign, supported by the Lions Club International, aims at eradicating measles and rubella. Although those diseases are not life-threatening per se, health officials said they would be debilitating for the future generation.
“Rather than targeting individuals for individual immunity, we are aiming at eradicating the viruses that cause rubella and measles,” said Deputy District Medical Officer R. Renuka. Flash mobs and magic shows were organised as part of the campaign. Apart from reaching out to the 1.26 million children in 9,545 schools in the district with the MR (measles and rubella) vaccine, the health authorities would hold 2,827 camps for non-school going children. The vaccines will be administered through private hospitals too on fixed days.
UNICEF officials claimed here that the current drive against measles and rubella would be the largest such in the world. They said the goal could be achieved only if 95 per cent of the children were given vaccine. One dose of MR vaccine would be given to all children between nine months and 15 years of age. Magician Gopinath Muthukad was the guest at the district-level inauguration. National Health Mission district programme coordinator A. Shibulal introduced the programme. District Medical Officer K. Sakeena presided.
Election Observer Amit Choudhari, Dr. Renuka, District Legal Service Society secretary Rajan Thattil, World Health Organisation representative R. Sreenath, UNICEF district consultant G. Santhosh Kumar, Ayurveda District Medical Officer K. Susheela, and Homoeo District Medical Officer L. Sheeba Begum were among those who attended the function.
