KRISHNAGIRI: One child tested positive for measles and 15 others showed symptoms in Kodakarai tribal village. The health department administered the measle-rubella, Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus (DPT) and Tetanus and Diphtheria (TD) vaccinations for 497 children in a month in which 377 were administered within the last three days as the health department officials camped in the tribal villages.
Sources from the health department told TNIE, “An eight-year-old boy of Kodakarai tribal village in Thalli block developed fever and rashes, in the second week of February and it spread to over 10 children, then acting on the information provided by the health department, led by Krishnagiri district health officer, G Ramesh Kumar, visited the spot and a government higher secondary school.
They collected blood samples from the child and sent them to a laboratory in Chennai, which confirmed measles positive. Meanwhile, they started administrating MR and DPT vaccines for children between two to seven years and MR with TD vaccine was administered for children between the age group of seven to 15.”
Following the issue, the health department vaccinated 120 children within the Kodakarai, and Kocchavur villages in the last weeks of February. However, villagers were reluctant to take the vaccination. 11 more samples were taken of which seven turned negative and the results of four more are yet to be received.
Following the continuous process, over 55 health department staff from Thalli block visited the village again and vaccinated 377 children from March 16 to 18. People were not reportedly supportive and the children were escaping from the staff. The health team administered vaccination from 4 pm to 9 pm.
Small gifts like ribbons were given to children to encourage vaccination. A village health nurse was also attacked by a woman near Kocchavur village when she went for vaccination duty. Kumar told TNIE, “The issue is a suspected outbreak, though one case is positive, more than 10 children have the symptoms. However, people need to be provided with more awareness. Also, we administered vaccines near Aliyar forest checkpost and managed to vaccinate 497 children.”
When TNIE contacted collector K M Sarayu said that the issue was solved and it was prevented from spreading further last month. However, she was not aware that a village nurse was assaulted and said that more awareness would be given.