Measles-Rubella: 33% of target group jabbed in first 7 days

KOLKATA: State health department has seen unprecedented success in the Measles and Rubella (MR) vaccination drive as over 33 per cent of children across the state have been vaccinated in the first 7 days of the drive.Nearly around 80 lakh children have been given a dose by the state government which is 33 per cent of the total target group in the state.

Bengal successfully administered measles-rubella vaccination doses on around 44 lakh children in the first three days of the vaccination drive. State has been able to administer doses over 80 per cent of the total number of beneficiaries it had targeted on each day.

As per the data given by the health department on Monday, around total 8,633 sessions were held across the state on the day. The officials had a target of administering doses to 15,12,869 children. Out of the total day’s target, around 12,41,499 children received a jab on Monday.According to the health department data, over 32 lakh children were vaccinated on the two days of the drive. Around 15 lakh children are getting vaccinated on an average basis. More than 2.30 crore children are expected to get an additional dose of measles and rubella doses across Bengal. Vaccination drive is yet to start in Darjeeling hills. The drive will start in the hills from February 15.

State health department has already directed all the districts to increase the number of vaccination centres for expediting the measles and rubella vaccination drive. Various civic bodies have been urged to carry out awareness drives among the people where the vaccination rate had been low in the previous years.

The Health department is undertaking the vaccination drive at various levels after the state government had given clear instructions that not a single child should not be left out.