The State Government is going to organise a special vaccination drive titled ‘Mission Indradhanush’ for children in eight districts of Chhattisgarh from Tuesday.The programme will begin on the occasion of World Health Day . Chief Minister Raman Singh while extending his best wishes for the success of the Mission appealed to the residents of these districts to get their children vaccinated in more and more numbers. “For safeguarding children from different kinds of diseases and for their healthy life, vaccination is very essential,” Singh said.
Health Department officials informed that the first phase of this programme would start from April 7 and will conclude on April 15. The districts to be covered under this programme are Raipur, Baloda Bazaar-Bhatapara, Jashpur, Surguja (Ambikapur), Korba, Bilaspur, South Bastar (Dantewada) and Bijapur.
Due to comparative low average of child vaccination and tetanus dose to pregnant mothers in these districts this special drive has been launched, they said. Notably Mission Indradhanush is a micro working plan under National Vaccination Mission of Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The officials further informed that Mission Indradhanush is a four-stage programme that would begin on 7th of every month in the selected districts. The areas which have relatively lower vaccination rate would be covered under a special vaccination session and all children would be administered vaccines.
Under this special Mission from April 7 to 15, lists of children would be prepared following which from April 7, May 7, June 8 and July 7, the special drive will be held in these districts. During this period, all children below 2 years who have not completed their vaccination course or are totally left out will be administered BCG, oral polio vaccine, DTP, Hepatitis-B and Measles vaccines.
Pantavelent vaccines will be also administered during this period to selected age group children. Currently, the vaccination rate of Chhattisgarh is 74.9 per cent and infant mortality rate is 45 on every 1,000 births, they said.