Anti-Japanese Encephalitis immunisation in Bellary from July 10-16

Bellary, Karnataka, June 22 (UNI) Bellary is among the 11 districts in the country to be covered under the Centre's total immunisation programme to counter Japanese Encephalitis, commonly referred to as brain fever.

District Health Officer Dr R V Hanumaiah told newspersons here today that five districts from Uttar Pradesh, two districts each from Bihar and Assam and one district from West Bengal were the other districts to be selected for the week-long national programme from July ten to 16.

Stating that the single-dose, one-time vaccine, imported from China, would be supplied by the Union Government, he said the target for the district was seven lakh children. About 818 health staff, including medical officers and health assistants, would be involved in the programme here. As the district did not have adequate staff to implement the programme, staff from districts like Mandya, Hassan, Raichur, Koppal, Davangere and Chitradurga would be deployed. While training had been imparted to the local staff, those coming from other districts would be trained soon, he added.

Deputy Commissioner Arvind Srivastav had convened a task force, which would meet on June 26 in his office, to chalk out strategies to effectively implement the programme, he said.

The district regularly faced the menace of Japanese Encephalitis, which would spread from July to February among children in the age group of 1-14. The incidence of brain fever was high in Bellary as people from Koppal and Raichur districts and Anantapur and Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh brought their children to the district, a peripheral centre.

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