KOZHIKODE: The Health department has claimed to have repaired the damage done by the death of Roopisha to its immunisation programme in the district, citing a significant increase in the turnout of children for the pulse polio immunisation drive held on February 11.
“The turnout in the second phase of the pulse polio immunisation programme has increased to 93.76 percent (figures from a few block PHCs are awaited) from the 68 percent turnout in the first phase held on January 7,” says RCH (Reproductive Child Health) officer Dr A Baburaj.
Moreover, the routine primary immunisation programme, which had hit a road block since December, is back on the track, he added. “We have been able to remove the confusion among the public triggered by the death of the school girl.”
Roopisha’s death on December 12 after she was administered the routine tetanus vaccine (death later turned out to be due to Reye’s syndrome) had toppled the entire immunisation programme. The completion of primary immunisation which stood at 4,000 (children) per month dropped to 2,800 in December.
“We had the support of panchayat members, who went around with health staff to create awareness and to remove the misgivings on vaccination.” Now the number of children who completed primary vaccination, which includes BCG (for tuberculosis), DPT (diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus) and OPV (oral polio vaccine), has come to around 3,700 per month, Dr Baburaj points out.
The figures, however, show that Vattoli and nearby places are yet to make a complete recovery from the ‘vaccination scare’.
The Kuttiadi block PHC (public health centre), which covers this area, registered a turnout of 270 children in the second phase compared to the meagre 33 in the first. But this constitute only 60 pc of the total number of kids who should have been administered polio vaccine.
The nearby Vanimel block PHC also recorded only 60 percent turnout, though the rural Kozhikode as a whole fared well with 95 percent. Among the urban units, Kozhikode corporation was behind with 89 percent turnout.
The district’s response to immunisation has been low compared to rest of the State for various reasons, says the RCH officer. The areas which are ‘immunisation-resistant’ in the district included Kodiyathur, Chennamangalur, Kuttiadi, Vanimel, Thuneri and Nadapuram.
“The faith in alternative medicine could be one reason. Though the resistance is usually seen in a particular community, a widespread belief that these vaccination programmes are being promoted for the interests of West especially the US, has put many others also against it,” Baburaj says.
But the attitude is changing, thanks to the efforts put together by Health staff, volunteers, people’s representatives and officials of various departments concerned, he adds.
“The turnout in the second phase of the pulse polio immunisation programme has increased to 93.76 percent (figures from a few block PHCs are awaited) from the 68 percent turnout in the first phase held on January 7,” says RCH (Reproductive Child Health) officer Dr A Baburaj.
Moreover, the routine primary immunisation programme, which had hit a road block since December, is back on the track, he added. “We have been able to remove the confusion among the public triggered by the death of the school girl.”
Roopisha’s death on December 12 after she was administered the routine tetanus vaccine (death later turned out to be due to Reye’s syndrome) had toppled the entire immunisation programme. The completion of primary immunisation which stood at 4,000 (children) per month dropped to 2,800 in December.
“We had the support of panchayat members, who went around with health staff to create awareness and to remove the misgivings on vaccination.” Now the number of children who completed primary vaccination, which includes BCG (for tuberculosis), DPT (diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus) and OPV (oral polio vaccine), has come to around 3,700 per month, Dr Baburaj points out.
The figures, however, show that Vattoli and nearby places are yet to make a complete recovery from the ‘vaccination scare’.
The Kuttiadi block PHC (public health centre), which covers this area, registered a turnout of 270 children in the second phase compared to the meagre 33 in the first. But this constitute only 60 pc of the total number of kids who should have been administered polio vaccine.
The nearby Vanimel block PHC also recorded only 60 percent turnout, though the rural Kozhikode as a whole fared well with 95 percent. Among the urban units, Kozhikode corporation was behind with 89 percent turnout.
The district’s response to immunisation has been low compared to rest of the State for various reasons, says the RCH officer. The areas which are ‘immunisation-resistant’ in the district included Kodiyathur, Chennamangalur, Kuttiadi, Vanimel, Thuneri and Nadapuram.
“The faith in alternative medicine could be one reason. Though the resistance is usually seen in a particular community, a widespread belief that these vaccination programmes are being promoted for the interests of West especially the US, has put many others also against it,” Baburaj says.
But the attitude is changing, thanks to the efforts put together by Health staff, volunteers, people’s representatives and officials of various departments concerned, he adds.
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