press trust of india
Mewat, May 4: Haryana’s Muslim-dominated Mewat district has the lowest immunisation rate among children under the age of 6 years, which is a matter of concern for the authorities who are now trying to rope in clerics to address the situation.
The immunisation rate here is 13 per cent, much lower than the state average of 62.2 per cent, according to the National Family Health Survey. Officials say the rate of immunisation in Mewat is low mainly because of rumours which started spreading more than three months back that the vaccines being administered under the Central government’s Indradhanush programme would have a sterilising effect on the children.
With an aim of addressing the situation, top officials of the district and National Health Mission (NHM) yesterday held an interaction with the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and the clerics, who agreed to render their help by negating the rumours.
Maulana Yahya Kareemi, president of Al-aman Islamic Centre, Mewat, said he would speak about the “misinformation” related to the immunisation during the prayers at the mosque, including on Fridays when the number of devotees swell.
“We have 400-500 youth coming to our institute every day and the number rises to over a thousand Fridays. If the administration wants, we can spread the word quelling misinformation related to immunisation,” he said.
The Indradanush programme is aimed at guarding children against diseases like polio, BCG, pentavalent (diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis b, haemophilus, influenza type-B) rubella-measles.
Officials said the immunisation rate had risen to 30 per cent, but it started sliding post-February after a video went viral on social media, claiming that the injections being administered would make the children sterile and check the population of the minority community.
“As of now, no such injection or tablet has been invented, which could render children sterile,” asserted Mewat Deputy Commissioner Mani Ram Sharma, while rubbishing the rumours. He told the gathering, which included several clerics, that the region has several people affected by polio as the Meo community had skipped the polio vaccination drive 15 years back, again due to unfound apprehensions.
“I see 15-20 physically disabled youngsters coming to see me at my office every day to seek assistance in the form of employment or finances,” the IAS officer said.
