KOZHIKODE: The health department has warned the child care homes that non-compliance with the MR vaccination would attract the provisions of Juvenile Justice Act (care and protection), 2015. Thousands of children are under various care homes such as child care home, open shelter, observation home and special home across the state. The 'care giver' of the respective home is the parent of the child and the majority of homes are functioning in private sector registered with orphanages and other charitable homes (supervision and control) Act of 1960.
Though the children of these homes are supposed to take vaccine from their school, a few homes had shown reluctance allegedly falling to the propaganda of anti-vaccination lobby. The health workers of Thrissur district have been asked to report such cases to the district Juvenile Justice Board. "The health workers should convince the institution that as per section 34 of the JJ Act model rules, immunisation of the child is mandatory. If any institution does not comply, it should be brought to the notice of JJ board," says a circular issued from Thrissur district medical office (DMO).
The circular also urges to take note whether the home was registered under the JJ Act and if not, it should also be informed. "After alerting them over the JJ Act provisions, the homes which were reluctant are now ready for vaccination," said P.K Raju, technical assistant of Thrissur DMO office. The same should be replicated across the state and there is no way to bypass the Act, he said. Responding to this, Mr T.K Pareekutty Haji, secretary, Association of Orphanages and Charitable Institutions, told DC that the association had not come out against vaccination. Director of Health Services, Dr R.L. Saritha, said that not many homes were boycotting vaccination.
