Puducherry, Feb 6 (PTI): The Puducherry government today launched a massive drive to vaccinate children, especially in schools, including private institutions, to protect them against Measles and Rubella (MR).
The drive, which will go on till end of February, will see around 3.10 lakh children in the age group of 9 months and 15 years get vaccinated, a spokesman of the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services said.
Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao launched the special vaccination drive at Vallalar government Girls High school in neighbouring Lawspet.
The vaccines, produced by Pune based Serum Institute of virology, have been certified as safe by the World Health Organisation and the Health Ministry.
Such vaccination has already been part of the immunisation programme implemented by the health directorate here for last nearly three decades.
Meanwhile 16 students of a private school developed ‘restlessness’ after vaccination against MR and were rushed to the Government General Hospital.
Nine were discharged after treatment and the others were kept under observation, a senior medical officer said.
He said the children did not show any adverse reaction and could have become panicky and school authorities would not have generated proper awareness among them.
This is published unedited from the PTI feed.
