Vaccination against measles and rubella: the health department of West Bengal targets two million children crore in two months

The vaccine will be given free to all children aged 9 months to 15 years across the state. (Representation)

The state health department will launch a measles and rubella vaccination from the third week of November to vaccinate children with 2.5 crores in two months. The vaccine will be given free to all children aged 9 months to 15 years across the state.

While the first phase of the program will target public schools, according to a recent notification from the Department of Health, the campaign will cover all private schools affiliated with various central councils in January, in addition to state government-funded educational institutions. .

According to the guidelines issued by the state government to the district administration, awareness campaigns will also be conducted in all upper primary schools, secondary schools and Madarsas, with the exception of private schools affiliated to various central councils.

Vaccination will take place from 29 November to 14 January in all primary health centers, primary health centers, rural health centers, state general hospitals, sub-division hospitals and district hospitals, as well as only in various colleges and hospitals.

In addition to schoolchildren, the vaccine would be administered from November 29 to December 22 in the Anganwadi centers and as part of the Village Health Nutrition Day campaign.

The MR vaccine has already been used in the private sector, but it is now part of the state government's universal immunization program, which replaces the old measles vaccine, officials said. The campaign was launched with the goal of eliminating measles and controlling rubella, the cause of serious neurological and cardiological abnormalities in newborns if the infection occurs during pregnancy.

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