Centre Launches Mass Immunisation Campaign Ahead of Festive Season

Chennai, December 10, 2024 - The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has directed District Health Offices (DHOs) to conduct special immunization sessions till December 31 in all urban and rural areas. The initiative aims to increase vaccination rates, especially among children who have not yet received their first dose of the pentavalent vaccine or dropped out of the immunisation programme.

The campaign will focus on data entry to track the number of vaccinated children, drop-outs, left-out children, and identify vacant sites, high-risk areas, urban slums, and other hotspots where additional efforts are needed. This data will be used for future planning and to identify areas that require more attention.

The decision was made after analysing the routine immunisation performance from January-November 2024 compared to the same period last year on a district-wise basis. The Centre is also targeting Zero-Dose Children - those who have not received their first dose of vaccine within a year of birth.

All DHOs have been instructed to direct health officers, village health nurses, and other officials to conduct the campaign across each district. The health officers will document performance in the TN Health Management Information System and Integrated Health Information Platform portal.

Health experts see this mass immunisation campaign as an opportunity to boost vaccination rates ahead of the festive season, ensuring a healthy population for the New Year. The Centre's initiative is expected to improve healthcare services and provide better protection against vaccine-preventable diseases in rural and urban areas alike.