MALKANGIRI:The vaccination drive to protect children of the district from Japanese Encephalitis started here on Monday. During the drive, a total of 2,01,827 children under the age group of 1-15 will be covered.
District Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy kicked off the 25-day vaccination drive from IMST School premises in the town where doctors and paramedical staff administered vaccine on the students of the school.
The Collector said vaccines have reached the vaccination points and 23 Ice Lined Refrigerator ( ILR) points have been set up to maintain the quality of the vaccine.
The administration has formed 175 teams who will move around the district to implement the programme.
The target children constitute 33.4 per cent of the total population. Control rooms have been set up at the district and block levels to monitor the ongoing vaccination programme.
The district administration is making all efforts to ensure that not a single child is left out, Chakravarthy said, adding that it is also the responsibility of parents to see that their children receive JE vaccine.
Among others, ZP president Padmini Muduli, DRDA Project Director, Chief District Medical Officer and Municipality Chairperson were present.
While 37 children have so far succumbed to Japanese Encephalitis, 66 died due to other diseases, the district administration sources here said.
Of the 336 children admitted in the District Headquarters Hospital so far, 230 have been discharged successfully after treatment.