Japanese encephalitis vaccine given to five lakh children

On Feb. 15 state government organised an immunisation camp to administer Japanese encephalitis vaccine to more than 500,000 children, after a few cases of the disease were reported in Udham Singh. The camp's medical superintendent, P. D. Panday, said that the government would soon launch the immunisation programme in other regions of the state as well. "Udham Singh Nagar is an industrial area. It has more chances of having mosquitoes, as there are many rivers and ponds here. We have been informed of some cases of fever, though there is no confirmation of the disease. That is the reason the government has launched this project." he said.

Panday also stated that around 17 teams are working and at least 5,000 children are being immunised everyday. "Our 17 teams are working and every day around 4500-5000 children come to us for vaccination. We are working regularly except on Wednesday. We intend to cover the children of the whole region," he said.

Many people are turning up at the vaccination centres and the campaign would run for at least 20 days. "They are providing vaccination for the fever. So I came here for the immunization of my child," said Anita Dwivedi, mother of a vaccinated child. Japanese encephalitis affects 30,000 to 50,000 people each year across Asia, killing up to 15,000. The virus affects membranes around the brain and usually causes mild symptoms, but can lead to high fever, brain damage, coma and death. It is the leading cause of childhood encephalitis and viral encephalitis in Asia.