Preparations to launch Mission Indradhanush in full swing

Malda: The preparations for the 6th phase of Mission Indradhanush have started in full swing with the initiative of the district health department and district administration to vaccinate the dropouts and left out children along with pregnant women who have not taken a particular vaccine or completed a course.

It is often seen that children and pregnant mothers do not complete the vaccine doses. At times, this could result in fatality, especially during childbirth. The Indradhanush scheme is being relaunched to complete immunisation of children up to five years of age and pregnant mothers to prevent child and maternal mortality. The dropout or left out children in the 5th round of mission Indradhanush will be included in the 6th edition. This project will be launched in Malda along with other districts of the whole country in the 6th phase from August 7. The programme will continue for one week in August. Later, it will continue for another two months.

About 12 types of vaccines are currently given to children to prevent various diseases, from various sub-health centers and health centers. Pregnant mothers are to be given two doses of tetanus vaccine. Vaccinations will be given against — diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, meningitis and pneumonia, Haemophilus influenzae type B infections, Japanese encephalitis (JE), rotavirus, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and measles-rubella (MR).

Sudipta Bhaduri, chief medical officer of health, said: "Mission Indradhanush project is being relaunched from August 7. The number of children and pregnant mothers to come under the mission is being assessed.”