Assam: Hailakandi ready to launch Measles Rubella vaccination drive

Taking part in the crucial District Task Force meeting on Measles Rubella vaccination campaign, Commissioner and Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Assam, Anurag Goel, asked all the stakeholders to pitch in their efforts for achieving cent per cent coverage of children in the age group of nine months and less than 15 years.

Goel directed the officials of the Education Department to find out the exact number of students enrolled in Government and private schools and not on the basis of attendance alone to ensure that no child is left out from the upcoming immunisation drive.

Emphasising on the need to impart proper training to the vaccinators and other field personnel for smooth conduct of the MR campaign, Goel said, “It has to be made known to the field personnel that the MR vaccine has to be kept in ice pack and used within four hours.”

The Commissioner and Secretary said the stakeholders involved have to carry the message loud and clear that the MR vaccination drive is safe and effective and there is no cause for worry or fear.

Goel urged the health authorities to organise sensitisation programmes to create mass awareness on MR vaccination involving students, teachers, guardians, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, medical practitioners, Circle Officers, BDOs and other officials of line departments. “For the MR campaign to be effective, it is pertinent that throughout its duration, and in routine immunisation thereafter, no child is left behind,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner, Hailakandi, Adil Khan, who is the chairperson of District Task Force, asked ADC, Ruth Lienthang and officials of Education Department to work out on the exact number of students enrolled in government and non-government schools, including non-going students for attaining 100 per cent coverage. Khan said that the administration would ask the school authorities to cooperate in the immunisation drive.

Khan exhorted upon the need to organise workshop not only at district level but also  block level for the success of the immunisation exercise. “The message must go that the MR vaccine has proven to be safe and effective with a single dose of vaccine boosting the immunity of the child by eliminating transmission of measles and Rubella,” said Khan.

The Deputy Commissioner directed the officials of Health Department to submit micro level planning at the block levels by March 31. For this, a Circle Officer will be engaged to monitor the campaign at the block level, he added.

Khan asked the health and other line departments to work in tandem and submit the plan of action in the next review meeting on April 1.

WHO consultant, Dr. Migon Doley and Joint Director of Health Services, Hailakandi, Abhijit Basu also spoke on the occasion.

It may be mentioned that India along with 10 other WHO South East Asia Region member countries have resolved to eliminate measles and control Rubella/Congenital Rubella Syndrome by 2020. India accounts for 37 per cent of global measles deaths.

The MR campaign touted as world’s largest vaccination drive, will cover a total of 41 crore children in phased manner across the country in two years. The campaign which has entered its third phase encompassing five States including Assam will cover 37.8 million children. The MR vaccination campaign was launched in India on February 5, 2017.