A district level workshop for effective implementation of Measles- Rubella vaccination campaign was organised at office of Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Dehradun on Friday. The workshop was presided over by the CMO of Dehradun Dr T C Pant.
Addressing the participants, the district immunization officer, Dr U S Chauhan discussed the micro plan, strategy of the campaign, preparation, social mobilization and biological waste management of the campaign. He said that measles prompts pneumonia and diarrhoea among the children and reduces their immunity due to which mortality among children increases. He said that Rubella is a set of deformity in foetus which results in premature delivery, birth of dead or deformed child. He informed that the government of India has taken a pledge to eradicate Measles by the year 2020. The government has initiated vaccination programme for Rubella which is aimed at preventing the disease in early stage.
The representative of World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Vikas Sharma said that a combined campaign for Measles and Rubella would be launched in the month of September. The children between the age group of nine months and 15 years would be covered under the campaign. He said that the campaign would be initiated from government, non government and madarsa schools and thereafter it would cover community health centres. In the later stages mobile vans would be pressed into service to vaccinate all children who were left out. The speakers emphasized on the pre campaign preparations at block and district level and effective coordination between different departments. The education and health department would be leading the campaign with active support of other departments.
The officers also satisfied queries of the participants on the occasion and trained them on filling the various formats designed for the campaign.
The representatives from WHO, health, education, rural development, Panchayati raj participated in the workshop.
The workshop was attended by State immunization officer Dr B S Rawat, Project Manager National Health Mission Geeta Sharma, National Adolescent Health Programme Manager Anoop Chauhan, District Panchayati Raj Officer M Jafar Khan, district programme officer Child development S K Singh and others.