Highlights
- Delhi government is prioritising the immunisation of children
- Immunisation prevents morbidity, and mortality among children
- Birth dose of vaccines, BCG were being given even during lockdown: Govt
New Delhi: The Delhi government is taking proactive measures to ensure minimal disruption of immunisation services during the lockdown period. “The Delhi government is ensuring immunisation services at functional fixed public facilities and the government has already issued instructions to all the District Immunisation Officers to update the list of children eligible for vaccination who could not be vaccinated due to the lockdown. Birth dose of vaccines (OPV, Hepatitis) and BCG were being given to newborns at all the delivery points even during the lockdown,” an official release said.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led government has decided to prioritise the immunisation of children to protect them from deadly diseases such as polio, tetanus, and diphtheria.
This is also critical to keeping other children safe by eliminating or substantially reducing the spread of dangerous diseases from child to child. Immunisation is one of the safest, most cost-effective and powerful means of preventing morbidity and mortality among children. Over the years, countries across the world have enlarged the ambit of vaccination as a public health intervention to improve child survival and quality of life, read the release.
“The birth dose of vaccines (OPV, Hepatitis) and BCG was being given to newborns at all the delivery points even during the lockdown. The Delhi government took a proactive stand and immunisation services continued at the fixed facilities on the designated immunisation days i.e. Wednesdays and Fridays at primary health centres,” it said.
However, active mobilisation could not be done because of the involvement of ASHA workers and ANMs in COVID-19 works.
Also Read: Immunisation Is A Critical Interventions For Saving Children’s Lives, Says Expert
Families, who were seeking immunisation services voluntarily for their children were provided with the services following all due protocols and advisories like social distancing and hygiene.
The Delhi government has urged that now all the parents should proactively contact their ASHA workers, ANMs or reach their designated primary health facilities for ensuring full immunisation of their children.
[corona_data_new]Delhi has 640 immunisation facilities belonging to different agencies including that of the Delhi Government. The government has already issued instructions to all the District Immunisation Officers to ensure that the health facilities update the list of children eligible for vaccination who could not be vaccinated due to the lockdown. These children will be vaccinated in the upcoming weeks. The Delhi government is formulating microplans to ensure 100 per cent coverage of the children for all vaccines, read the release.
