Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Oct 8: The health and family welfare department Wednesday launched the second phase of the Mission Indradhanush with the objective of immunising all children below the age of two and all pregnant women in the state.
State health minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak Wednesday formally inaugurated the Central immunisation programme at the Indian Medical Association hall here. All officials of the department were present on the occasion.
The programme was also simultaneously launched in the 13 districts includeding Boudh, Gajapati, Ganjam, Nabarangpur, Khurda, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nuapada, Rayagada and Kandhamal.
The chief objective of the programme is to cover all children left out of routine immunisation and those who have received partial vaccination along with new ones. The pentavalent vaccines expected to be administered on the kids are meant to fight diptheria, pertussis, tetanus, Hepatitis B and HIB. The immunisation session under phase II will be taken up for seven days each at the beginning of the month and completed by October 17.
The Centre intends to attain 90 per cent immunisation in the country by 2020 under the mission.
Union health minister JP Nadda Monday interacted with the health ministers and health secretaries of states through video conferencing and inquired about the preparedness of the states to implement the initiative which aims at covering all children below two years of age and pregnant women with full immunisation against seven vaccine preventable diseases.
