NASHIK: Aiming to reach all children aged below two years and pregnant women, who were left uncovered under the government’s routine immunisation program, the district health office is ensuring to achieve 100% vaccination in the district under the central govt’s Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 2.0.
Under the guidance of District collector Suraj Mandhare, the vaccination drive IMI 2.0 is being undertaken by health department across Nashik district from December 2019 to March 2020 to cover all kids below two years and pregnant women.
Making an appeal to people for cooperation, District Health Officer Dr Vijay Dekate informed that the vaccination drive will be undertaken in first weeks of February and March. “The health department will ensure to achieve 100% vaccination for children below two years and pregnant women,” he said.
With the support of folk artists, an extensive public awareness campaign on immunization is also being conducted in the district by ‘Geet, Naatak Vibhag, Pune’. Currently the drive is underway in as many as 10 high priority places which included Vavi, Devpur, Chandori, Ojhar, Pimpalgaon, Dhamangaon, Vaitarna, Anjaneri, Amboli, and Dhondegaon.
Apart from the on-going vaccination drive, focus is also being given on social awareness programs on Save Girl Child, family welfare and diseases like leprosy and TB. The second phase of Central government’s Indradhanush vaccination drive will cover 25 districts in Maharashtra and benefit 79,000 children and 12,000 pregnant women.
Objective
The Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 aims to immunize children under 2 years of age and pregnant women against eight vaccine-preventable diseases. The immunisation drive covers vaccines for tuberculosis, meningitis, measles, Hepatitis B, tetanus, whooping cough, poliomyelitis and diphtheria. The vaccines for two other diseases- Hemophilus influenza and Japanese encephalitis will also be provided under the programme in certain select areas.