NEW DELHI: For the successful rollout of the special Measles & Rubella (MR) immunisation campaign, the Health Department has asked all medical officers to escalate the human resources needed in the vaccination exercise. The department has issued a letter addressed to all public health facilities urging them to push for 100% coverage of the ‘over and above’ dose of the MR vaccine, which will be given to children aged between nine months and 5 years of age, irrespective of past immunisation status.
“As you are all aware that the MR Vaccination Campaign for beneficiaries between nine months to 5 years of age is going to start from February 6, 2023 for subsequent four to six weeks where in all beneficiaries between 9 months to 5 years of age will be administer one additional dose of MR vaccine irrespective of past immunization status.
It will be the responsibility of the public health facilities to ensure 100% vaccination of eligible beneficiaries,” the letter read. “In order to smoothly implement the campaign, presence of Human Resource at all levels needs to be ensured. All the CDMOs are requested to ensure rational deployment of sufficient human resources for all related activities for smooth and un-interrupted implementation of the MR campaign,” it added.
The 4-week long immunisation drive, slated to begin on February 6, is being implemented after a gap of nearly three years. Initially planned in 2020, the drive was suspended due to the onset of COVID-19. Officials said the need for it emerged after a gap in routine vaccination during the pandemic years, which led to a rise in cases of the diseases.
The department has estimated that around 11 lakh children fall under the eligible age bracket for the vaccination. According to the National Immunisation Schedule (NIS), the first dose of the MR vaccine is given when an infant becomes 9 months old. The second dose is given to a child when he/she reaches 16 months of age.
Officials said the vaccine will be available at all dispensaries run by the Delhi government. Meanwhile, an outreach programme for immunisation will be run by the Anganwadi workers of the area, wherein special camps will be set up at different locations and door-to-door vaccination can also be provided in those localities, they added.