Mass immunisation drive to rein in diphtheria
The special task force was constituted on Sunday to carry out the immunisation drive
KOZHIKODE: The diphtheria special task force has charted out an action plan for mass immunisation in the district and its first meeting will be held on Tuesday.
The immunisation will be carried out in three phases. The immediate phase will be completed before September 30 where all the children and adults with diphtheria symptoms, who live in the one-km radius of the confirmed diphtheria cases, will be given the vaccine. Adults who are in direct contact with the confirmed cases will be vaccinated even if they do not have any symptoms.
Two children had died and four others had fallen ill after a diphtheria outbreak at Vettathur in Mal-appuram, forcing the health department to declare a diphtheria outbreak in the district and organise a mass immunisation drive.
Low vaccination rate in the district due to adverse campaigns by some religious outfits was the reason for the outbreak of the disease in the district, health officials said.
The special task force was constituted on Sunday to carry out the immunisation drive.
In the second phase from October 1 to 10, all non-immunised children below the age of 16 will be given the vaccine and prevention tablets. In the third phase from October 10, the vaccinated children will be given the booster dozes.
“We have written letters to the school principals to furnish the details of non-immunised children up to Plus One. We have asked them to furnish the details to the STF before September 30,” Dr. Ummer Farook, Malappuram DMO, told DC. He said a survey would be conducted as part of the first phase of the drive to check for symptoms among people who lived within one-km radius of confirmed diphtheria cases.
The STF personnel will visit each house in the locality and check people for symptoms and all those found to have similar symptoms will be vaccinated.
No fresh case of diphtheria has been reported in the locality. So far, six children were confirmed with the infection and among them two have died.
One is still under critical condition at the Institute of Maternity and Child Health at Medical College.
“Two among the confirmed cases do not have any symptoms but are carriers. One child has completed treatment successfully and has been discharged. We have not identified any fresh cases so far,” Mr Ummer Farook said.