BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday launched Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign which will cover nearly 1.13 crore children from the age of nine months to less than 15 years. The campaign will continue till March 26.
During the initial two weeks of campaign, vaccination will be done in all schools while it will be done at the community level during next two weeks. The last week will be devoted to mop up activities in low coverage areas.
MR vaccine will replace measles vaccine in the routine immunisation programme after the campaign. For successful implementation of the programme, health and family welfare, school and mass education, ST and SC development, panchayatiraj and housing and urban development departments have identified nodal officers for monitoring district level activities.
Information, education and communication (IEC) activities have been conducted throughout the State for generating community awareness. The State Government has made a provision of `5 crore for effective IEC activities in urban and rural areas. Campaign preparedness has been reviewed by Chief Secretary AP Padhi twice in presence of all line department secretaries.
Development partners like World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and professional bodies like the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Indian Academy of Paediatric (IAP) and Lions International have also extended their support.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Pratap Jena, Secretary in the department Pramod Meherda and senor officials were present at the event here. At the district-level the campaign was launched in the presence of MLAs, Zilla Parishad presidents, municipality chairpersons and other eminent leaders.