Mission Indradhanush: BMC begins second round of child vaccination campaign

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday announced the launch of the second round of the phase IV of "Mission Indradhanush" to immunise children. "During the nine-day drive, our staff would try to reach out to those children who are still unvaccinated through 564 special immunisation camps. Our focus will be to reach out to especially those children who live in urban slums, at the construction sites, and at hard-to-reach locations," said BMC Executive Health Officer Dr. Padmaja Keskar.

"We appeal to parents to proactively participate in this special programme by ensuring that their children get vaccinated, and protect them against the deadly diseases," she said. In 2014-end, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry launched "Mission Indradhanush", depicting seven colours of the rainbow, to cover all those children by 2020 who are either unvaccinated, or are partially vaccinated against seven vaccine preventable diseases which include diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B.

"In the first round of the 'Indradhanush', held between April 7, 2014 and April 15, 2017, total 1,506 children were fully immunised in Mumbai," Dr Keskar said, adding that frequent migration of workers has become a challenge for authorities to reach out to unvaccinated children. She said the third and the fourth rounds of the "Indradhanush" drive would be launched in the month of June and July, respectively.

Dr Keskar said the aim of the authorities in the "catch up" vaccination rounds is to cover all the children who have been left out or missed out for immunisation. "Apart from this, we have regular vaccination programmes at our hospitals and heath care centres," she added.