Manipur to launch vaccination programme
Sobhapati Samom
IMPHAL,Oct 23 – A massive Japanese Encephalitis vaccination programme will be formally launched in five Manipur district from Monday with the active involvement of nearly 10,000 government employees.
The programme which would be taken up in five districts of Imphal West and East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Chandel, will target 5,92,196 children of one to 15 years by opening 2,053 vaccination booths.
State’s Health and Family Welfare Minister, Pheiroijam Parijat informed this while speaking to press persons in here on Friday. Japanese Encephalitis Vaccination Programme, which was deferred from its earlier schedule of October 12 due to none arrival of auto disabled syringes imported from a foreign country, will be launched on October 25.
Ph Parijat said that the Government is to take up the programme considering the prevalence of the dreaded disease in the State.
The five districts of Manipur were among 109 districts in the country selected for the mass vaccination programme, the Minister said.
The Centrally sponsored programme is to be taken up in the State by the Family Welfare department in collaboration with National Rural Health Mission. The programme has been successfully implemented in 30 districts of the country, Parijat said.
A total of 217 medical officers, 678 ANM, 3,646 Anganwadi workers, 2,713 ASHA workers, 1,815 teachers, 93 supervisors and 344 staff nurses will be engaged in the programme.
Additonal director of Social Welfare department, Dr Wahengbam Gulapi, who also attended a press briefing, said the children will be vaccinated with SA14-14-2. The vaccine cannot be administered to children infected with HIV/AIDS. Children with liver and kidney cases, allergic children and those suffering from fever will also be exempted from vaccination, he added.
It may be mentioned here that around 34 persons were officially reported dead due to the syndrome of Japanese Encephalitis within July.
Source: The Assam Tribune
