Corporation starts survey for 3rd phase of immunization programme

The civic body's health department has started the survey for the third phase of the immunization programme - Indradhanush - to be implemented from April 7. As per the Coimbatore Corporation health officials, nearly 1,000-1,500 children below the age of 2 years were covered in the first two phases.

"The survey will be carried out till April 6. Based on the survey, the immunization programme will be held at construction sites, brick kilns, urban slums, tribal hamlets and other nomadic sites," said an official.

The programme will mainly cover diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough (Pertussis), tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B. It will be carried out from April 7 to April 14.

Coimbatore was marked amongst the eight districts in the state which required immunization according to the central government programme, when launched in 2014. In the city, as per the survey by health officials and WHO, there are over 30,000 children below the age of 2 years and one lakh children below the age of 5 years.

The corporation will deploy 23 medical doctors and 98 urban health nurses as field monitors and surveillance medical officers. 10 mobile centres will also be deputed for the outreach programmes.

"This project is mainly aimed at children and pregnant women," said a health official. The official added that even though there was an election underway the survey will not be ignored as it is an essential service.

"The aim is to immunize children and women from these diseases in the next five years. Though, it is a two year-immunization programme, all those who could not be a part of it in the previous years can make use of it this year," said an official.

Apart from this, the civic body is also running another campaign to ensure that the polio vaccination programme is switched to bivalent from trivalent. "The health centres should dump the type 2 virus oral polio vaccine as bio-waste. The process will begin by the second week of April for that as well," said the official.

"Earlier three viruses were included in the vaccination. But as per WHO and other agencies, one virus was removed and termed unnecessary for India. So that virus vaccine will have to be removed from all government and private centres by May 9." said a health official.

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