With Tamil Nadu expanding the Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccination programme to seven more districts, the Health department plans to reach a total of 27,63,152 children aged one to 15 years with a single dose of JE vaccine.
Focused vaccination campaigns will be held at government and government-aided schools, anganwadi centres, orphanages and juvenile homes. Health Minister Ma. Subramanian launched the expansion of the JE vaccination programme in Chennai on Wednesday.
According to a press release, JE is a mosquito borne zoonotic viral disease transmitted by certain species of Culex mosquitoes. The disease affects the central nervous system and can cause severe complications, seizures and even death. The case fatality rate is very high and those who survive may suffer various degrees of neurological sequelae. Children suffer the highest attack rates because of lack of cumulative immunity due to natural infection.
JE vaccination is implemented as an one-time campaign after which it is integrated into the routine immunisation programme. The campaign targets children aged one to 15 years in districts with the highest risk in the country.
Since 2007, JE vaccination programme is implemented in 15 endemic revenue districts in TN - Chennai (two zones), Cuddalore, Virudhunagar, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Tiruchi, Tiruvarur, Madurai, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvannamalai, Tiruvallur, Pudukottai and Karur - initially in campaign mode among children aged one to 15 years and later included under routine immunisation.
