Malappuram district yet to get enough doses of vaccines

MALAPPURAM: The district struggling with the re-emergence of diphtheria didn’t get enough doses of Td vaccine for more than one lakh children despite repeated assurances by the authorities. The additional doses of 30,000 were to be reached the district on Monday according to an earlier direction from the health department, but that didn’t reach here even on Tuesday. The UNICEF-backed action plan for the total immunisation of the district was launched on Monday without vaccination.

Special awareness classes for the parents and teachers at different schools are being conducted as part of the drive now, and health officials say vaccination would follow. “We will get the stock of the additional vaccines on Wednesday,” said district medical officer Dr V. Ummer Farook.

“The stock of Td vaccines meant for us was on a flight to be landed in Nedumbassery on Monday and had planned to receive it there, but we missed it as it was diverted to Thiruvananthapuram,” said DMO. The newly launched drive plans to cover all the children aged 10-16 within two weeks. Meanwhile, seven more cases were reported this week from Kondotty health block with diphtheria-like symptoms. One of the suspected is aged 24, and others are aged 10-15.