The second phase of ‘Mission Indradhanush’ — a drive to ensure complete vaccination of children in State — will commence from May 7, and will go on till May 15, a Government statement saod on Wednesday. First phase of this mission, which commenced on April 7, was successfully accomplished on April 15. The prime objective of Mission Indradhanush is to vaccinate those children and pregnant women by year 2020, who were deprived of vaccination or who were partially vaccinated for some or the other reason.
Under this mission, vaccination of diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, and measles will be given to children and pregnant women. It is noteworthy that in the first phase of this mission initiated by Government of India on December 25, 2014 on Good Governance Day, as many as 201 districts of the country have been included.
The second phase covers around 297 districts of the country, including eight districts of Chhattisgarh namely Raipur, Balodabazar-Bhatapara, Jashpur, Sarguja (Ambikapur), Korba, Bilaspur, South Bastar (Dantewada) and Bijapur. Chhattisgarh’s Health Department, in association with Government of India, inaugurated this programme on April 7, i.e. on World Health Day. Health department officials said that presently, percentage of vaccination is 74.9. Mission Indradhanush will enhance this figure. In the eight selected districts of Chhattisgarh, female health workers are organizing vaccination session.