Intensified Mission Indradhanush 4.0 to start from March 7 in DK

The Centre’s Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 4.0 will be held in three phases in Dakshina Kannada (DK) district from March 7.

“The special drive will cover all unvaccinated children and pregnant women,” District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Kishore Kumar said on Wednesday.

Dakshina Kannada was selected among 11 districts in Karnataka under IMI 4.0 programme, as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsava’.

The programme aims at covering children who had missed the vaccination or were partially vaccinated against 10 vaccine-preventable diseases, including diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, childhood tuberculosis, measles, rubella, Japanese encephalitis and hepatitis B.

“Expecting mothers will also be immunised for tetanus,” said the DHO.

The aim is to increase full immunisation coverage to 90%, sustain it through Routine Immunization (RI), reaching the unreached with all available vaccines for children under 2 years and pregnant women, informed Dr Kishore Kumar.

IMI 4.0 campaign will be held in three rounds from March 7 to 13, April 4 to 10 and May 9 to 15.

Health officials said that during these seven days in a month, all beneficiaries including pregnant women, children in high-risk areas, particularly migrant labourers, will be identified and immunised.

Pulse polio

The DHO said that the department will administer pulse polio drops to 1,54,023 children below five years in DK. The pulse polio drops will be administered at 921 vaccination booths on February 27.

The drive will be flagged off at Lady Goschen Hospital in the presence of elected representatives at 8 am, he said.

Among 1,54,023 children, there are 30,640 kids in Bantwal, 19,583 in Belthangady, 72,360 in Mangaluru, 21,858 in Puttur and 9,582 in Sullia taluk, he added.

The officials will accord priority to children of migrant labourers residing in slum areas to ensure that no child remains unvaccinated.

As many as 29 transit teams will visit bus stands, railway stations to administer pulse polio drops to the children. The district has five mobile teams to ensure the success of the drive.