From Our Correspondent
TURA: The ongoing mass immunization programme for Measles appears to have hit a road block with some districts witnessing slow progress while in other places there were mischief mongers creating fear and confusion leading to a drop in attendance for the national programme which began on Monday.
False stories of contaminated vaccine, death from the measles jab has apparently discouraged parents from bringing their wards to the immunization centres.
Till Thursday morning as many as 46,477 children in West Garo Hills district alone had taken the Measles shot with no report of any illness or disease. The national immunization programme in the district has already covered 26 percent of the projected target.
“Coverage has been less in South and East Garo Hills districts and we are trying to ensure maximum coverage of information and immunization.”said World Health Organization (WHO) Consultant Dr Neelanjan Roy.
“False reports of death and other stories have been doing the rounds which is not correct,” he added.
The reports of the vaccine being contaminated with the blood of wild animals such as fox and a rabid dog were being circulated in some villages leading to a drop in the number of children coming forward for the immunization.
Rumors of satanic rituals being imposed on children were even circulated in the rural areas creating fear.
The sudden drop in the number of children for the vaccination was reported at Makalgonchu and Anangpara areas of Kherapara assembly constituency and Pusengagre village under Purakhasia border village.
At Kherapara Dopogre, village elders allegedly locked the primary school to prevent children from participating in the immunization program.