Bhubaneswar: The health and family welfare department has asked the municipal corporation to undertake campaigns to support the ground-level officials for the success of the upcoming measles-rubella vaccination drive, which will start here from January 29.
The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has decided to hold special awareness camps, mainly in the slum settlements, and sensitise people on its importance.
"In previous such drives, it was observed that the slum children were often neglected. So this time, we have decided to have a special focus on them," said a health department official.
The drive will continue for five weeks. Children between the age group of nine months and 15 years will be vaccinated during the drive.
Measles is an infectious disease that causes childhood morbidity and mortality among the children under the age of five years. Rubella also can lead to foetal death, spontaneous abortion and a set of serious birth defects known as congenital rubella syndrome when an unimmunised woman is infected during early pregnancy period.
A source from the civic body said they would take the help of various voluntary organisations if needed to generate awareness on measles and rubella.
"We are already making efforts to educate people about the consequences of such diseases in the children. We are also planning to hold street plays to generate awareness," said a civic body official.
This apart, the tourism department has also been asked to conduct cultural programmes with special focus on the importance of measles-rubella vaccination. A small video clip about the vaccination programme will also be shown at the ongoing light-and-sound show at Dahuli and Konark, respectively.
After the Japanese encephalitis vaccination drive in December last year, the measles-rubella vaccination will be the second biggest awareness drive in Odisha.
"We will do our level best to ensure that no children is left out in the drive. We have already identified the vulnerable population living in the slums and decided to target them on particular basis," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.
