UP launches month-long follow-up vaccination drive against Japanese Encephalitis

After successfully curbing the annual spurt of Japanese Encephalitis and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome among children during the last four years of his stint, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday launched a month-long, state-wide vaccination drive for children to prevent recurrence of the fatal malady.

Adityanath launched the vaccination campaign while inaugurating the fifth edition of the Mukhyamantri Arogya Mela at a Primary Health Center at Aurangabad in Sarojini Nagar area of Lucknow. Recalling the deadly grip of the two diseases, largely in eastern Uttar Pradesh as an annual malady, Adityanath said, "From 1977-78 to 2016, around 500 to 1,500 children died of encephalitis within three to four months every year."

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"But through massive campaigns conducted by our government, we have been successful in reducing the death toll by 90 per cent," the chief minister said, adding that other diseases like Dengue and Kalazar too can be controlled like this.

Under a UNICEF-aided vaccination campaign DASTAK, the entire state machinery last year and earlier went door to door in various districts affected by JE and acute encephalitis syndrome. The communicable disease control, special Japanese Encephalitis vaccination campaign and 'DASTAK' campaign were linked to the Mukhyamantri Arogya Mela this year, an official statement said. Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister also stressed upon the need not to get panicked over the spread of any disease, including flu, and to counter it instead by a systematic action plan.

"Flu is not a disease. When the weather changes, some people catch cold. It is flu in itself and the cause of its spread has been given names like swine flu and bird flu," the chief minister said, while seeking to caution people against panicking in face of the spread of any disease.

Emphasising upon the role of awareness in fighting the spread of any disease, Adityanath said, "There is a need to make people aware of it and alert the Health Department about the need to get the solution to fight the disease. The biggest solution to the flu is awareness."

"Even if it has spread, do not create panic over it. For this, the Health Department should prepare a better action plan. Hospitals should be made aware of this in advance and special wards should be made there, so that it can be stopped from spreading," he added. He also cautioned media against spreading fear psychosis against spread of any disease. "Our second effort should be to create awareness about cleanliness. To fight mosquito-borne diseases, constant fogging drives should be carried out," he said.

During the month-long vaccination campaign 'DASTAK', which will end on March 31, workers will visit all primary health centers and secondary schools and vaccinate those who have not been vaccinated.

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