With an aim to eradicate deadly Japanese Encephalitis that has so far killed thousands of children the Yogi Government will launch a massive immunisation programme from May 25 in 38 endemic districts.
This campaign will start from May 25 and will continue till June 11 in which 88,57,125 targeted children between age group of 1 and 15 will be given vaccines. The Government has so far procured over 1 crore vaccines from Centre.
“Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will start this campaign from Kushinagar. Senior Ministers in the Cabinet will start this drive from different identified district headquarters,” Health Minister Sidharthnath Singh told reporters here on Wednesday.
He said Government has involved all the voluntary and social organisations in these JE prone districts to actively take part in the campaign. “The politicians should also take part in the drive. BSP Chief Mayawati too, rather than going to Saharanpur, should involve herself in this drive as majority of the children from Dalit and minority community die because of JE,” said the State Health Minister.
Singh said during a survey conducted on the previous immunisation drive it was found that only 60 per cent of the children are being vaccinated. “But this time, we are trying to vaccinate all the identified children. WE have sufficient stock of vaccines and will maintain a cold chain,” he said.