Chinese vaccines imported for deadly Japanese Encephalitis

Siddharthnagar, May 9 (UNI) Chinese vaccines have been imported to immunise children against the deadly Japanese Encephalitis (JE), which claimed over 1,000 lives last year in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Starting May 15, the state health department will undertake a massive JE vaccination drive in two stages in Gorakhpur and Basti divisions.

The two divisions comprise seven eastern UP districts namely Gorakhpur, Deoria, Maharajganj, Kushinagar Siddharthnagar, Sant Kabirnabar and Basti.

Gorakhpur additional director health D P Mishra told UNI that 55.38 China-made JE vaccines have been sourced for an estimated 51.41 lakh children in the 1-15 yrs age group.

The vaccines are expected to land at New Delhi by tomorrow from China. ''The vials will first be packaged at a Karnal unit and later dispatched here for vaccination.'' UNI XC-VS MSJ KN1530