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| Sunday, 22 September 2002 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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On September 28 and October 26 : Polio vaccine for children in North-East by Shanika Sriyananda Liyanage Nearly 300,000 children, who are vulnerable to the dreadful childhood disease - Poliomyelitis, in the remote areas of the North and East, will receive Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) on September 28 and October 26. Two doses of OPV will be administered to these children who are under five-years-old. Since 1993, not a single polio case has been reported from elsewhere in the country, but according to an official of the Epidemiological Unit of the Ministry of Heath, Nutrition and Welfare, it is necessary to administer OPV for these children in those areas in a bid to eradicate the disease from the country. Over 95 per cent of the country's children have been immunized against polio. "The National Immunization Days were held annually during the past five years in other parts of the country, but in the North and East they were held on a relatively low profile. In certain areas the parents even find it difficult to reach the immunization centres", the official said. The main objective of the immunization programme is to ensure that every child in those areas received two doses of OPV during the two days, irrespective of previous immunization status. In 51 MOH divisions, 1,439 permanent and mobile immunization centres will be set up in each district for the benefit of the people living in very remote areas, who find it difficult to obtain vaccination. "If the parents cannot gain access easily to these centres, mobile units will be launched with a door-to-door campaign to ensure that every child in the province received the OPV", the official said. Over 5,000 health care workers including members of the voluntary organizations will be deployed to assist the immunization program and make it a success. |
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