Health department initiates vaccition programme for children

Special Correspondent

 SILCHAR, March 25: In view of the most injurious effect of Japanese encephalitis, the health department of Cachar has planned massive vaccition plan for children from Thursday. In the first phase, entire district of Cachar will be taken up and of the 5,87,202 children, 33% will be covered within the total activity days of 3 weeks. For this micro plan of children vaccition, 3748 sites have been selected which includes schools, anganwadi workers centres, private nursing homes and sub-centres.

 There will be 813 outreach session sites and 75 difficult session sites. This children Japanese encephalitis vaccition programme involves 578 ANM and 1775 Asha workers. In the event of any adverse report from any area of the sites taken up, 21 teams headed by one medical officer will reach the spot for remedial action. Besides the urban areas, 1160 villages are included in this first phase. 9 mobile vehicles will also be pressed into service.

 Briefing media-persons in the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar today, Dr. Sudipjyoti Das, joint director of health, assisted by Dr. Sushil Chandra Das, additiol chief medical officer, and Dr. Ajit Bhattacharjee, medical officer, giving all the details said total beneficiaries in the age group of 1-15 years will be 5,87,229. Explaining why children need JE vaccition, he said Japanese encephalitis is a viral disease without any effective treatment.

 Vaccition, Dr. Sudipjyoti Das added to say, is the only effective solution for JE control with demonstrable impact. SA-14-2 is a safe, effective and affordable vaccine. More and more countries are introducing and expanding JE vaccition based on their disease burden. Children will be administered a single dose of 0.5 ml. The root of injection is upper arm. The joint director of health said till date no severe adverse events have been reported. Everyday 270 teams of nursing staff, anganwadi workers, Asha and volunteers will take part in the massive vaccition plan. At the press-briefing was also present Baranya Das, ADC.