CHENNAI: The Tambaram City Municipal Corporation (TCMC) on Thursday launched a mass vaccination campaign to immunise 1,62,749 children aged between one and 15 years against Japanese Encephalitis (JE), a mosquito-borne viral disease that can cause severe brain inflammation, high fever and, in extreme cases, death or permanent neurological damage.
The drive is part of the state government’s decision to expand the JE vaccination programme to seven additional districts, including Tambaram in Chengalpattu district, in the light of the high number of cases between 2023 and 2025. Health officials told TNIE JE is spread through the bite of virus-infected Culex mosquitoes, which thrive in rural and peri-urban areas. The one-time campaign dose will later be included in the routine immunisation schedule.
The rollout will be held in three phases: Phase 1 (Aug 14-Sept 12) for children aged 5-15 years in government and aided schools; phase 2 (Sept 13-Oct 12) for those aged 1-5 years through anganwadi centres; and phase 3 (Oct 13-Nov 12) in orphanages and juvenile reform schools. Camps will operate on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays in each phase.