Gujarat: State govt extends vaccination drive for MR by 10 days

Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said 40 lakh children are yet to be vaccinated due to various reasons like rain and festivals.

The state government had covered schools under the campaign to reach out to the children. However, the campaign received below expectation response following the death of some children post-vaccination. (Source: File Photo)

With 40 lakh out of the nearly 1.60 crore children yet to be given the vaccine for measles & rubella (MR) in Gujarat, the state government on Wednesday extended the vaccination campaign by 10 more days to continue till September 10.

Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, who also holds the health portfolio, said, “Around 1.60 crore children are to be vaccinated under the ongoing campaign. So far, we could vaccinate around 1.20 crore children. So, 40 lakh children are yet to be vaccinated due to various reasons like rain and festivals.”

“We are going to extend the campaign by 10 days, till September 10. And I appeal to all parents whose children are yet to be vaccinated,” Patel said.

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The state government had covered schools under the campaign to reach out to the children.

However, the campaign received below expectation response following the death of some children post-vaccination. The Health Department, however, had clarified that none of the death was caused by the vaccine.

Patel said that many senior officers of the state government had got their children vaccinated under the campaign to spread the word that it is not dangerous at all.

“Under the recommendation of our Health Department officials, I also got my eight-year-old granddaughter and 10 other children from the extended family vaccinated under it,” the Deputy CM said.

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