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Hajj immunisation preponed, officials scramble to meet Feb deadline
Maharashtra health officials are making urgent efforts to put systems in place after the public health department advanced immunisation schedule for Hajj pilgrims from April to February this year
Pune: Health officials across Maharashtra are making urgent efforts to put systems in place after the state public health department advanced the immunisation schedule for Hajj pilgrims from April to February this year, said officials on Friday. The vaccination drive was advanced after the Hajj Committee indicated that Ramadan would begin from February 17.
The health department’s order issued on Thursday directed local bodies to immediately begin medical screening and vaccination of registered pilgrims. As per the directive, beneficiaries will be administered the oral polio vaccine, the meningococcal vaccine, and influenza vaccines for high-risk individuals, as per the international travel health requirements.
According to officials, nearly 19,000 pilgrims from Maharashtra are expected to travel for Hajj this year. Vaccine stocks were dispatched to several regions on Thursday, while additional stocks were sent to one region on Friday.
In Pune, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) received stocks of oral polio, meningitis and influenza vaccines on Thursday. Of these, 400 influenza doses have been earmarked for high-risk individuals and those above 65 years. The preliminary beneficiary list shared with PMC includes around 1,378 pilgrims. The Pune Hajj Committee has proposed February 8 as a possible vaccination date.
According to officials, PMC received an email from the Hajj Committee on Thursday requesting that immunisation should begin from February 1 or February 8.
“Given the short notice, preparations were expected to be difficult, and we were about to respond that it would be challenging. However, within hours, the public health department issued detailed guidelines, shared the beneficiary list and ensured vaccine availability,” said a senior official, requesting anonymity.
Although PMC received the state government’s formal communication on January 22 evening, officials said immunisation cards are yet to be issued to beneficiaries. To manage the tight schedule, PMC held a coordination meeting on Friday and ordered that medical screening should begin from Saturday at Kamala Nehru Hospital, with batches of 100 pilgrims at a time.
Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health chief, PMC, said, “It is a last-minute scramble, but we will ensure that it does not create inconvenience to pilgrims.”
Dr Ashok Nandapurkar, deputy director of health services and state nodal officer for Hajj immunisation, said Maharashtra was strictly following directions issued by the Centre. “The task is manageable as vaccines have already been supplied.”
