JE vaccination, a total failure in Imphal East
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, August 27 2013: With just 11 children in the age group of 1 to 15 years vaccinated last year (2012) the vaccination progammme against Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in Imphal East district has been a total failure.

An official of Family Welfare Department, on condition of anonymity, disclosed to Hueiyen Lanpao that under strict instruction from the Central Government, children in the age group of 1 to 15 years were vaccinated in Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal and Chandel districts in Manipur.

Later, the vaccination programme was included in the routine immunization programme taken up in the Primary health Centres of the State along with vaccination for Measles and administering of Booster medicines.

The official further informed that under this immunization programme all the PHCs and CHCs in the State are provided the required vaccines for JE.

Since a single dose of JE vaccine can prevent transmission of the disease in human beings for a lifetime, children are, therefore, vaccinated and there is no other means to prevent the deadly disease.

But due to negligence of the staffs engaged in the immunization programme in the five districts, the programme has been a failure in almost all the districts with Imphal East being the worst last year.

Out of the total population of 8 lakhs in Imphal East, only 11 children were recorded to have given JE vaccination.

The concerned authority has also warned of taking up strict actions if the number of children given JE vaccination is not increased this year. The official went on to disclose that the State Government has urged the Central Government to allow the vaccination programme be taken up for all people above the age of 15 years as well.

It is hopeful that the Central Government would comply with the State's proposal.

It has also been reported that since the stock of JE vaccines in the State is in plenty, there have been proposals of giving away the vaccines to some other States where the vaccination programme is being taken up successfully and to take its new share by the State of Manipur.

Meanwhile, with people of Keibi in Imphal East district living in a state of fear following detection of JE positive case in the area recently, the concerned department has started vaccination programme since.

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