Ronan Kelly
Retired 2020
Special measles vaccination drive in Assam
State government targets to immunise around 211,229 children during pilot project in Morigaon district within three weeks
Published on 11/15/2010 - 08:34:52 AM
Guwahati: Assam government together with the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and with support from UNICEF and WHO launched a special measles immunisation programme called ?Second dose opportunity? last week.
The immunisation programme that will be carried out over a period of three weeks will target children up to the age group of 10 years.
Health officials target to immunise around 211,229 children in Morigaon district within these three weeks. While school children will be immunised during the first week, the second and third weeks will cover children in villages and riverine areas respectively.
Around 75 medical officers, 280 auxilliary nurses and midwives (ANMs) and 939 ASHA workers have been pressed into service to make this programme a success.
The specialty of the ?Second dose opportunity? programme is aimed at completely eradicating measles in the state. Measles is a highly contagious disease that drastically damages the immunity in children. As a result, children are more prone to contacting diseases like pneumonia, diarrhea and Japanese encephalitis.
The programme also targets the 30 per cent of the state?s total children, who have remained uncovered during various immunisation drives that have been carried out so far. Moreover, children who have already been immunised against measles can also receive the second dose to enhance their immunity.
?The efficacy of a measles vaccine is usually 85 per cent and in rare cases an immunised child may develop measles later. But taking the second dose of the vaccine will ensure his full immunity to the diseases.
Initially, immunization will be carried out as a pilot project in Morigaon and later extended to other districts,? a Health Department official said.
?iGovernment Bureau
http://www.igovernment.in/site/special-measles-vaccination-drive-assam-38746
State government targets to immunise around 211,229 children during pilot project in Morigaon district within three weeks
Published on 11/15/2010 - 08:34:52 AM
Guwahati: Assam government together with the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and with support from UNICEF and WHO launched a special measles immunisation programme called ?Second dose opportunity? last week.
The immunisation programme that will be carried out over a period of three weeks will target children up to the age group of 10 years.
Health officials target to immunise around 211,229 children in Morigaon district within these three weeks. While school children will be immunised during the first week, the second and third weeks will cover children in villages and riverine areas respectively.
Around 75 medical officers, 280 auxilliary nurses and midwives (ANMs) and 939 ASHA workers have been pressed into service to make this programme a success.
The specialty of the ?Second dose opportunity? programme is aimed at completely eradicating measles in the state. Measles is a highly contagious disease that drastically damages the immunity in children. As a result, children are more prone to contacting diseases like pneumonia, diarrhea and Japanese encephalitis.
The programme also targets the 30 per cent of the state?s total children, who have remained uncovered during various immunisation drives that have been carried out so far. Moreover, children who have already been immunised against measles can also receive the second dose to enhance their immunity.
?The efficacy of a measles vaccine is usually 85 per cent and in rare cases an immunised child may develop measles later. But taking the second dose of the vaccine will ensure his full immunity to the diseases.
Initially, immunization will be carried out as a pilot project in Morigaon and later extended to other districts,? a Health Department official said.
?iGovernment Bureau
http://www.igovernment.in/site/special-measles-vaccination-drive-assam-38746