CM kicks off vaccination drive in city

GURUGRAM: Chief minister Manohar Lal launched the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) campaign in Gurgaon on Sunday. Besides Gurgaon, the drive will be held in four districts, including Faridabad, Palwal and Mewat also.

IMI is the flagship initiative of the Union government to increase immunisation coverage by vaccinating all unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children — up to two years of age — and pregnant women, as per the routine immunisation schedule. Under IMI, the vaccination camp will be organized from 7 to 21st of every month, starting from October 2017 to January 2018.

In Gurgaon, the target is to vaccinate 11,336 children and 2,907 pregnant women during the four month long campaign. For this, total 671 sessions will be organized, out of which 101 sessions will be in high risk sites. Presently, 79.4% children are fully immunised in the district against vaccine preventable diseases such as Tuberculosis, Polio, Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Tetanus, Hemophillus Influenza B Pneumonia and Meningitis, Hepatitis B, Measles and Rotavirus Diarrhoea. The target is to reach 90% immunisation level.

"IMI would be supervised by the Cabinet Secretary at the national level and would continue to be monitored at the highest level under Pragati".

It will help communities, parents and key stakeholders to understand the importance of routine immunisation in protecting children from life-threatening diseases, and to increase their confidence in vaccines, address their misconceptions and fears, and motivate them to seek immunisation services," said Khattar.