Pledging for a healthy and clean state, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated UNICEF-sponsored Measles and Rubella (MR) vaccination programme in the state on Monday.

Speaking at the function, Yogi said that the (programme) would provide good health to the children. Lauding the efforts of Health department, the CM said that in BRD Medical College (Gorakhpur), around 600 children used to be admitted and 150-200 used to die due to encephalitis every year, but the same came down to 86 admissions and six casualties in the current year.

Yogi said that Polio had been eradicated from the state and other prevailing disease would be wiped out soon. “This MR vaccination programme is one of the biggest drives in the country as around 410 million children will be vaccinated. Both measles and Rubella are diseases found in children at birth and hence it should be prevented at any cost,” he said.

The CM also stressed the need for creating awareness among the people and educate them for the success of the vaccination drive. The drive covers children between nine months and 15 years.

Officials said that vaccination would be provided notwithstanding any previous medication. In the initial weeks, children would be vaccinated in their schools.

Unlike the polio campaign, the MR vaccination campaign will not be a ‘door-to-door’ campaign, but have fixed sessions at health facilities with outreach sessions in villages/urban areas and mobile posts set up in several areas. UP immunisation officer (Directorate of Family Welfare) Dr AP Chaturvedi said: “About eight crore kids need to be vaccinated in UP alone. The last week of the programme will serve as a ‘catch-up’ campaign for kids left out before. The timings for the campaign will be from 9 am to 4 pm.” Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma, Family Welfare Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi and her deputy Swati Singh were also present on the occasion.