CHENNAI: The State will vaccinate children for preventable diseases on all days at all Government Medical College Hospitals and Government District Headquarters Hospitals from this month-end, said Health minister C Vijaya Baskar on Thursday.
He said this while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of inauguration of a State-level workshop on Laboratory-supported Vaccine Preventable Diseases Surveillance and Revised Measles Rubella
Elimination Strategy.
A senior official said," BCG vaccine for Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Polio, Pertussis, Tetanus, Rotavirus, Measles and Rubella, Hepatitis B, and influenza vaccine and in some districts vaccine will be
administered for Japanese Encephalitis. In rural areas, the vaccines will be administered at all Primary Health Centres on Wednesdays, and also after the child is born."
It may be noted that the announcement comes in the wake of Diphtheria cases being reported. The Directorate of Public Health also launched immunisation drive in all schools after it found that many children had not been immunised. Officials also warned that the Sanitation Licence of schools which do not cooperate for immunisation drive will be cancelled.
The Minister further said, "The State, with the help of World Health Organisation (WHO), is setting up Vaccine Preventable Diseases Lab at the King Institute, Guindy. Infrastructure will be funded by the State and equipment cost will be supported by the WHO."