SHILLONG, May 6 - East Khasi Hills (EKH) district Health officials have restarted the Measles Rubella vaccination campaign to vaccinate children between nine months and 15 years to achieve the targeted 95 per cent mark.
The campaign began in October last year and Health officials are targeting to vaccinate 11.56 lakh kids or 95 per cent of children between nine months and 15 years in Meghalaya.
But out of the eleven districts in the State, East Khasi Hills has not achieved its target and during the campaign so far 79 per cent children have been vaccinated. All other districts have achieved their target of 95 per cent and above.
Admitting opposition towards the vaccination campaign in certain pockets of the district, the district nodal medical officer, Robert Marak said here today that a number of people are opposing the vaccine due to their �religious, social and personal beliefs.�
The Health authorities are targeting 2.85 lakh children in the district to eliminate Measles and control of Rubella/Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) by 2020. But only 2.24 lakh were vaccinated.
�We need herd immunity against these diseases and for that 95 per cent of children in the age group of nine months and 15 years needs to be vaccinated,� Marak added.
Assuring the safety of the vaccines, N Roy, Supervising Medical Officer from the World Health Organisation, said the vaccines are made in India and have gone through extensive clinical trials in India and abroad.
This vaccine is 40 years old and India has been exporting the vaccines to countries such as Sri Lanka, Nepal and other countries, Health officials added.
