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Health & Family Welfare officials discuss during a meeting on Oct. 25 to review progress of the ongoing measles rubell vaccination.[/caption]
Dimapur, Oct. 25 (EMN): The department of Health & Family Welfare met on Oct. 25 to review progress of the ongoing ‘measles rubella vaccination.’ The task force in charge of the programme met in the conference hall of the Health & Family Welfare principal secretary’s establishment.
The principal secretary of the Health & Family Welfare, I Himato Zhimomi, urged the officials and partners to continue with their follow-up action to achieve high coverage. The DIPR stated in an update on Thursday that he had suggested highlighting success stories especially of the districts that have high percentage of vaccination, to lead districts that had lower response. He appealed to parents to be informed and to avail the opportunity for their children.
Another official, Dr. Atoshe Sema highlighted that in Nagaland the MRV vaccine campaign’s status till October 23 2018 was 4,48,504 with overall percentage of 76.62. Dimapur’s percentage is 66.14%; Kiphire 91.13%; Kohima 71.27%; Longleng 96.88%; Mokokchung 95.36%; Mon 88.08%; Peren 85.73%; Phek 58.7%; Tuensang 94.06%; Wokha 80. 51%; and Zunheboto at 75.85%.
Another officer, Dr. Sheila Longkumer, said that the overall communication plans were ‘well executed from the state through workshops for faith-based organizations and media personnel. There is ‘good involvement’ at all level of the state, the gathering was told, according to the DIPR.
Due to coordination between the departments and partners, ‘Nagaland has reached a target of 75% in 20 days.’
However, she said, certain issues were identified such as negative messages related to prophecies, rumours and reports of adverse events in the neighbouring states, which caused fear and reluctance among the people about using the vaccines.
In order to achieve 100% target, the officer said, there should be new planning for areas where enumeration and target-setting had not been done properly; field validation of border areas/disputed areas to find missed pockets.
The DIPR updates mentioned that a state-level special monitor for Phek district would be needed because the district had the ‘lowest percentage of the MRV campaign status,’ according to the DIPR, and the ‘highest vaccine wastage percentage.’
