Japanese Encephalitis : UP Govt to launch massive immunisation programme

With an aim to eradicate deadly Japanese Encephalitis that has so far killed thousands of children the Yogi government will launch a massive immunization 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.

Claiming that it was CM Yogi Adityanath’s commitment to eradicate encephalitis from eastern UP Singh said Yogi was the first politician to raise this in Parliament in 1998. Therefore, after becoming CM his main emphasis was on eradication of this disease, he said.

“We have made a holistic programme under which trained doctors of BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur will be posted in all these 38 identified districts. These doctors will be available 24x7 in district hospitals. Emphasis of this government is that these patients should get primary treatment in PHCs and CHCs. And if we can ensure that we will win half the battle,” the minister said.  

Asked whether the Government would ban pigs in the JE affected areas, as the pigs were the main carrier of the virus Singh said that there is no such move as it could generate political controversy.

But talking about the Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), the Minister said as there is no vaccination for the AES hence the Government will go in for cleanliness drive, which will prevent spread of this disease to some extent. 

More than 10,000 children have died so far due to the killer JE in UP, Bihar and other parts of the country which was identified way back in 1978-79.

Meanwhile, the UP CM has issued an appeal to all the public representatives starting from MPs to village Pradhans to give their full cooperation in the drive. The Health Minister too has issued a similar appeal for the people.