Andhra Pradesh: 8.98 Lakh Children Vaccinated For Measles And Rubella

Measles and Rubella vaccination drive conducted in Krishna district to come to an end this week on September 8. Till now, 93 percent of the total target has been completed in various schools of this district and other Anganwadi centres of the place. But no information has been released whatsoever about the number of children who missed their schools due to fever or any other reason on the day of the vaccination. 9,49,191 children aged between 9 months to 15 years had been identified by the health authorities of the state for the MR vaccination.

4205 schools had been included in the drive and instructed to get the children vaccinated. The school management acceded to this and the vaccination drive was carried out. As of now, 8.98 Lakh children have been vaccinated under this drive. The officials have yet not stated the number of children who missed the vaccination due to any reason. 

Speaking to Express, a parent said, “My children missed their vaccination as they were suffering from Malaria fever. When we informed the school in charge, they asked us to contact the nearby Anganwadi center. We have taken a letter from the school management stating that my children missed the vaccine.

People in the Anganwadi center asked us to go to One Town hospital to get the dose. For the entire process, it took a full day and my children again missed their school. Initially, they said that vaccination teams would visit the schools again after completion of the drive to vaccinate those who missed in the first phase. But sadly there is no such provision.”

Some children, below 10 years of age, have been going through reactions due to the vaccination like fever and allergies but these are going unreported in majority of the cases till now. Officials have stated that a very small number of cases of these reactions have been reported till now. 
 

Krishna District Medical and Health Officer TVSN Sastry said in her statement, “The vaccination drive is going on smoothly without any complication. We are aiming to complete the vaccination by Tuesday or Wednesday. There is no dearth of stock and in fact, we received 10 percent excess stock from the State government. Over 10.2 lakh vaccine has been received and nearly 8 lakh units have been used so far. We are also making sure to provide a sufficient number of antidotes to those children who are allergic to the vaccine."

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