Measles vaccination programme to cover 15 lakh children

The first biggest ever vaccination programme was taken with the focus of covering roughly 30 per cent of the children under ten, who generally remain outside the reach of the routine measles vaccination programmes.

"It is a different programme from routine vaccination programme in the sense that it carries a lot of values in covering almost all the children under ten for which we have mobilised our maximum resources," said Dr Mahbubur Rahman, Director of Primary Healthcare of the Health Directorate.

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The campaign to prevent the highly contagious viral disease, was launched in Bogra and Rajshahi districts and Rajshahi City Corporation under TK 110 crore programme.

In the first week, school children are being vaccinated while guardians will be encouraged to come to EPI out-reach centres for the single dose injection (vaccine) in the second and the third weeks.

The observers from World Health Organisation, SEARO India, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC Atlanta, the USA and the Maldives have arrived to gather experience from the programme.

The second phase of the programme is scheduled to begin in February next year and the current special programme will end on September 22.