Health Ministry to run ‘extensive search and immunize’ campaign for children

The Ministry of Health and Population is to vaccinate the children missed out in the regular immunization programme. This extensive search and immunize campaign will be organized on May 13, said Dr Prakash Budhathoki, spokesman for the Ministry.

He said that an ‘extesive search and vaccination campaign’ would be conducted for children who missed regular vaccinations. According to him, 13 types of vaccines will be given to children under the age of five who missed regular vaccinations in 15 months. The government provides for free 13 types of vaccinations to children from birth to five years of age to protect them from diseases, disability and death.
The Ministry has stated that 80 percent of children have received the full dose, 20 percent of have not received all vaccines, and four percent of children have not received any vaccination.

In some districts, the number of children who missed vaccination has increased. The Ministry has informed that vaccination has been started for the children who were missed out in the previous immunization programmes since measles and rubella epidemic has also appeared. The Ministry has also requested the parents and bodies concerned to go to the nearest health office to vaccinate their children who have missed, and to help such children in the neighborhood to go to the vaccination centres as well.

The Ministry has stated that all children should be fully vaccinated as no one would be safe from various diseases and health issues until they are fully vaccinated.