E-Paper
Routine immunisation: PMC to conduct special vax drive for children born during pandemic
PUNE The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will conduct a special vaccination drive under Mission Indradhanush for kids aged 0-2 years
PUNE The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will conduct a special vaccination drive under Mission Indradhanush for kids aged 0-2 years. The civic body has been able to vaccinate only 76% of the kids in the past year against the estimated beneficiaries. The civic body aims to achieve at least 80% of the target.
The PMC has identified high-risk areas like slums, brick kilns and construction sites where the drive will be conducted.
To immunise the remaining 4% of the estimated population the civic body would run a special drive every week for the next three months, March, April and May.
Dr Suryakant Deokar, chief immunisation officer, PMC, said, “The lockdown did affect our routine immunisation drive, between April and August, we were able to vaccinate only 34% of the estimated 60,900 kids aged under two years in Pune city.”
“Due to the second wave in April and the following impact in May and June, the routine immunisation was hampered. However, once the wave receded, we aggressively started vaccination, and we were able to vaccinate about 76% of the kids aged below two years by February-end. But we are still shy of 4% of the target 80% immunisation requirement as per the central government,” he said.
Dr Deokar further added that to vaccinate those kids who were left out the civic body had identified high-risk areas including 165 construction sites, 8 brick kilns and 110 slum areas where a total of 94 sessions would be conducted in three weeks.
Dr Deokar said, “The routine immunisation would cover vaccines like hepatitis B, Rotavirus, Penta and PCV, Polio and BCG. The kids who were born between 2020 and 2022 and could not get the vaccine due to restrictive movements, lockdown or the infection will now be vaccinated only if they are eligible for the vaccine.”
“In March the sessions would be conducted between 7th and 13th, in April between 4th and 10th and in May between 9th and 15th. This is the fourth time the Mission Indradhanushya would be conducted. The vaccines would be provided completely for free and at the site. We will vaccinate the completely unvaccinated kids, half vaccinated and also pregnant women,” he said.
