Shillong: The centrally-aided anti-measles
vaccination programme aimed at covering nearly 99 per cent of children in Meghalaya began in four districts Monday.
"We target to reach more than 6,66,000 children in both
rural and urban areas of Meghalaya," the nodal officer for the
anti-measles campaign, Dr M R Basaiawmoit, said.
The districts to be covered are: Khasi, Bhoi, Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills.
Basaiawmoit said the first day's vaccination suffered
some minor hiccups when some superstitious villages protested
against the campaign.
"We will have to go to such villages and hold talks
with the elders to educate them on the need to have vaccination against measles," Dr Basaiawmoit said.
Meghalaya is ranked below the national average at 58
per cent and even below Mizoram where measles eradication
status stands at 62 per cent, Dr Basaiawmoit said quoting WHO
report.
During the first phase of the anti-measles campaign
conducted by the government last year, about 14 million
children in the country were vaccinated.
PTI
First Published: Monday, October 10, 2011, 15:37