Next phase of immunisation drive kicks off from today

The intensified Indradhanush mission will kick start in Belagavi City, from Saturday, which focuses on immunising 1,366 children and 213 pregnant women who have missed out vaccination during the regular immunisation programme.

The City has already recorded 94.01% achievement under the immunisation drive in the City which has a population of 5,49,805 population and total 1,30,425 households.

As per the survey conducted by Asha workers, Anganwadi teachers, health workers, a total of 1,366 children including 696 children below one year, 356 children between one and two years, 314 children between 5 to 6 years have missed out a dose of vaccination under the regular immunisation drive in which 21,452 children were vaccinated among the total 22818 children identified.

The main objective of the intensified Indradhanush mission is to rapidly build immuisation coverage beyond 90% by December 2018 and sustain thereafter through routine immunisation to ensure that all children receive all vaccines due for the age as per the national immunisation schedule with special focus on children up to 2 years of age and pregnant women who have missed out routine vaccination and to immunise children below 6 years with booster dose coverage.

District Reproductive & Child Health Officer Dr I P Gadad said the phase 5 of the Indradhanush immunisation programme is being held in four rounds from October 7 till January 2018, from 7th day of every month for seven working days to reach out the identified children.

The target group are those children who’s parents migrate to other place in search of livelihood. These parents fail to get immunised their children as the engage in work and due to lack of awareness about the drive in respective places.

“Among the six percent of children who missed the doses, four percent are partially immunised while 2% are completely un-immunised who need to be reached out,” said Dr Gadad during the workshop on Indradhanush campaign organised for journalist held at the District Training Center on the eve of beginning of the campaign.

Information centres

As many as 100 centers in 100 areas in the city have been established to vaccinate the children. Children who have not received any vaccine during the last one month could get administrated with the vaccine that is due availing the benefits of immunisation programme. Parents could get the information about the centers by dialing 104.

A walkathon near Sai Mandir at the slum in Shree Nagar would be held to mark the launch of the 5th phase of the mission.

Elected representative, health officials, Asha and health workers engaged in the programme will be taking part, he informed.