In a bid to ramp up measles rubella inoculation in the district, the health department will conduct a survey to trace unvaccinated children under the age of five. The unvaccinated children will be inoculated within the month.
The district task force, comprising the civil surgeon, senior medical officers and other nodal officers, was directed to prepare a road map for the survey on Monday.
Asserting that the Punjab government was committed to eliminate rubella by 2023, additional deputy commissioner Rahul Chaba directed the task force to identify zones lagging in measles rubella inoculation.
He directed the officials to encourage preschools to check the vaccination history of applicants. “The immunisation programme is crucial for reducing infant mortality as measles is one of the leading killing diseases among children. Congenital rubella syndrome also causes irreversible birth defects.”