JOWAI/ NONGPOH/TURA/: The Measles- Rubella Vaccination Campaign (MRVC) in West Jaintia Hills which was launched at North Liberty Higher Secondary School on September 24 by the Dolloi Jowai Elaka, P Kynjing, Daloi saw tremendous response for the first three days.
Schools were crowded with parents waiting for their children to be vaccinated. Children waited eagerly for their turn to receive vaccination by singing songs in the waiting rooms.
32 schools across the district achieved 100% coverage with school principals and teacher involved in making the campaign a successful in their respective schools.
So far, in the first three days, 305 schools finished the campaign with a total of 26831 vaccinated children.
The campaign still has to cover around 1490 schools in the district with less than 1 lakh children.
The District Medical & Health Officer of West Jaintia Hills has urged the people across the district and state to kindly get their children protected against these two infectious diseases and if a child missed the school session parents can visit the nearest hospital or health facility to get them vaccinated.
‘People’s mission’
Meanwhile, a meeting between West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, Ram Singh and all the Heads of Schools under Tura Urban was held on Friday in order to discuss matters relating to launching of Measles Rubella Vaccination Campaign, Poshan Abhiyan and Swachhta Hi Sewa programmes being conducted simultaneously in the district.
TMB Chief Executive Officer, S. B Marak, District Urban Planner, Tura P. N Sangma, officials of other line departments, principals and nodal teachers were also part of the meeting.
Emphasising on the importance of the campaign, the DC said that even though it is initiated by the government, it is people’s mission and likewise parents, teachers are equally responsible for the success of the nationwide immunisation programme in the district.
Referring to apprehension among some parents, Singh reiterated that there should not be any doubts for immunisation, since the vaccine is WHO certified vaccine and other districts in Khasi Hills have already launched the immunisation programme successfully on September 24 in their respective districts adding that Meghalaya is the 25th State in India to launch this programme.
He also sought full support and cooperation from everyone for implementing the immunisation programme successfully in the district which will be launched on October 1.
‘No side effect’
At a function in Nongpoh, the Deputy Commissioner, Ri Bhoi District, RM Kurbah urged students, teachers, workers, anganwadi workers who are the frontline workers at the grass root level to take every effort in the Measles Rubella Vaccination campaign which will start from October 1 and to make it a success. She called upon the parents not to have any fear as the vaccination has no side effect.
