As Many As 4.73 Lakh Children in Dakshina Kannada to Receive Vaccination Against Japanese Encephalitis

Dakshina Kannada District Health and Family Welfare Officer M. Kishore Kumar said that a total of 4.73 lakh children aged between 1 and 15 in the district will receive vaccine against Japanese Encephalitis viral disease during the three-week-long drive in Dakshina Kannada, which starts on Monday.

Dr. Kumar said 0.5 ml of vaccine will be administered to children in 3,514 vaccination centres that have been set up. As many as 2.23 lakh children will receive the vaccine in Mangalore taluk, followed by 91,653 children in Bantwal, 70,073 in Puttur, 60,192 in Belthangady and 28,676 children in Sullia taluks. The teachers and anganwadi workers have been made aware about the vaccine. The vaccine will be administered in schools and anganwadis in the first week. Health workers will do mop up exercise in the remaining two weeks.

District Reproductive Child Health Officer B.V. Rajesh said this inactivated vaccine developed in India is safe one and will not cause any complication following administration. This vaccination will protect children from getting infected from JE, which is carried by culex mosquitoes that is present in good number across Dakshina Kannada.