COMING OUT of its deep slumber, the Union Health Department has decided to import Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccine from China. The department convened a meeting of the Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) of 11 districts of UP, Bihar, West Bengal and Karnataka recently. Principal secretary, Health Nita Chaudhary, Director General (Health) Dr LP Prasad and Director Ram Babu participated in the meeting in which the significant decision was announced.
CMO Dr Mahendra Nath Yadav, who participated in the meeting along with CMOs of Kushinagar and Maharajganj, said in the first-phase the government had decided for mass vaccination in the 11 affected districts including four districts of the Gorakhpur division. He said the vaccination work would start from April 16 to May 10 and around 70 lakh doses would be imported.
He said children of 1 to 15 years would be covered in this programme. Sources further said that the Union Government had also placed an order for one crore doses. Dr Yadav also said the district administration had started the preparation for mass vaccination.
It is important to note that seven district of eastern UP were virtually ravaged by the dreaded disease last year. The outbreak of JE is a yearly phenomenon in eastern UP for the last 27 years. However, successive state governments had failed to take any initiative for arranging the vaccines.
Last year, the killer disease had claimed 763 lives in seven districts of Gorakhpur and Basti divisions.
Last year, the killer disease had claimed 763 lives in seven districts of Gorakhpur and Basti divisions.