HAILAKANDI, Dec 14 - The Tetanus Plus Vaccination Campaign (TPVC) kicked off in Hailakandi district on Monday. Deputy Commissioner Megh Nidhi Dahal ceremonially launched the 20-day vaccination campaign at the SK Roy Civil Hospital in the presence of district and health officials, children and their parents. A total of 33,351 children in the age group of 10 to 16-plus will be covered in the district under the vaccination drive. The 20-day campaign will have 924 sessions, including 111 fixed sessions.
Speaking on the occasion, Dahal said that unlike in the past when people died due to minor diseases like tetanus and diphtheria, vaccination now begins when a child is born, and routine immunisation continues till the child attains adulthood. Appreciating the efforts of the health officials for rendering a very difficult task to keep the vaccination cold chain intact by maintaining proper temperature, Dahal urged the parents to get their children immunised against tetanus and diphtheria. �Though there might be fever and other symptoms following immunisation, there is nothing to fear or panic as this is quite normal as the immune system takes some time to respond,� he said.
Terming the vaccination as clinically tested internationally and safe with no side effects, Dahal urged the people to contact the nearest health centre in case of any problem following immunisation of their children.
Dahal called for greater community participation by extending all help and support to the health teams for making the vaccination campaign a success and making the new generation free from diseases. Later, Dahal gave away certificates to the immunised children.
ADC (Health) Narendra Kumar Shah, Joint Director Health Services Dr Ashutosh Barman, Additional Chief Medical and Health Officer Rehana Begum and District Immunisation Officer KYS Rangmei also spoke on the occasion. An awareness rally on TPVC was brought out on Sunday from the SK Roy Civil Hospital. The rally traversed through the main thoroughfares of Hailakandi town.
MANGALDAI: Darrang Deputy Commissioner Dilip Kumar Borah on Monday urged all stakeholders and the community, including parents of children in the age groups of 10-11 and 16-17 years to come forward and make the tetanus diphtheria vaccination programme in the aspirational district a successful one.
�Unlike our days when vaccinations were very painful, and students were in panic, these modern vaccines are totally painless and there is hardly any possibility of any adverse effect. There is no cause of worry and panic,� Borah said while launching the vaccination campaign at a function held at the Youth Club in Mangaldai on Monday.
The Deputy Commissioner hoped that not a single targeted beneficiary is left out in the campaign which will go on for the next 20 days, and aims to cover an estimated nearly 40,000 beneficiaries.
Speaking on the occasion, Additional Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Nirmal Kumar Beria said, �This vaccine is not new for the targeted children. They have already experienced its doses as part of routine immunization since birth and now it is to be administered only as booster doses, keeping in mind the possible recurrence after five years� interval.�
The inaugural function was attended by District Immunization Officer Dr Ashini Kumar Dhing, ADC Kumar Surajit Borah and Joint Director Health Service Dr Rup Lal Nunisa.
The inaugural function was followed by a media sensitisation programme where the role of media in the successful conduct of the programme including sensible reporting at the time of any case of adverse effect following immunization was discussed.
DOOMDOOMA: Along with other districts of Assam, the Tetanus Plus Vaccination Campaign was also launched in Tinsukia district on Monday. The campaign was launched by Tinsukia district�s Joint Director of Health Services Dr Altaf Ahmed, in presence of the Additional Chief Medical and Health Officer and NHM District Programme Manager Dr Romen Sonowal.
ASHA workers and ANM nurses of Tinsukia Urban were also present in the programme where Dr Romen Sonowal imparted a brief training to the ANMs about the campaign. The Tetanus and Adult Diphtheria vaccine is a combination of Tetanus and Diphtheria with lower concentrations of diphtheria antigen as recommended for older children and adults.
