UP Launches School-Based Vaccination Drives Across 75 Districts

The Uttar Pradesh government is set to launch two school-based vaccination campaigns in August to provide children with enhanced protection against serious infectious diseases. The first phase, from August 3 to 7, will cover the TD/Tdap vaccination campaign, while the second phase, from August 18 to 28, will focus on the Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign.

The vaccination drives will be conducted across all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh, covering eligible children studying in council schools, aided schools, madrasas, and Anganwadi centres. The Director General of School Education and State Project Director, Monika Rani, has issued detailed guidelines to all District Inspectors of Schools and District Basic Education Officers to ensure the effective implementation of the campaigns.

The Health and Education Departments in every district will jointly prepare a comprehensive action plan, with District Immunization Officers, District Basic Education Officers, and District Inspectors of Schools coordinating to prepare school-wise microplans. The objective is to ensure that no eligible child is left out of the vaccination drive and that the campaigns are completed within the stipulated timeline.

Under the TD/Tdap campaign, children aged 5-6 years, 10 years, and 16 years will receive age-appropriate booster doses of Tdap-2, TD-10, and TD-16 vaccines. Each vaccination session aims to cover 50 to 75 children. Prior to the campaign, training programmes, coordination meetings, and school-level preparations will be completed at the state, district, and block levels.

The Measles-Rubella campaign will be conducted from August 18 to 28, covering children aged 5 to 10 years across all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh. Each school has been assigned a target of vaccinating 100 to 125 children per day, further strengthening protection against measles and rubella.

For both campaigns, every school will appoint a nodal teacher, and school-wise microplans will be prepared. ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, and teachers will jointly prepare lists of eligible children. The initiative aims to strengthen council schools as centres for both quality education and child health protection, ensuring timely immunity for every eligible child against serious infectious diseases.

The vaccination drives are part of the state government's efforts to improve the health and well-being of children in Uttar Pradesh. The campaigns will help to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, and rubella, and will contribute to the overall development of the state.

The success of the vaccination drives will depend on the effective coordination between the Health and Education Departments, as well as the participation of parents, teachers, and community workers. The state government has directed officials to ensure the timely completion of every activity under the campaign, and has emphasized the importance of reaching all eligible children.

In conclusion, the school-based vaccination drives in Uttar Pradesh are an important initiative to protect children against serious infectious diseases. The campaigns will help to strengthen the health and well-being of children in the state, and will contribute to the overall development of Uttar Pradesh.