Chennai: All government school students will be administered compulsory vaccine under the National Immunisation Programme by the end of this month, the Tamil Nadu government has announced. The draft to upgrade the scheme with its implementation in private schools is underway.
Though some people insisted on exempting children from being vaccinated owing to cultural and personal reasons, the state health department will not consider any such demands or requests until the students have a medical reason for it.
“The scheme of vaccinating students in government schools has been on in government schools for many years. The government was trying to make the vaccination for national immunisation programme mandatory for all government and private school children since two years. Though it was being opposed by some sections, the upgraded scheme that makes the vaccination compulsory is likely to be implemented from next month,” says public health director Dr
K. Kolandaisamy.
As per the Madras Public Health Act, 1939, the public health department will carry out the vaccination in all the schools and submit an annual record based on that.
The vaccination programme will mandate vaccines against five vaccine preventable diseases, namely diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Hepatitis-B and Haemophilus influenza-B.
As per the health and family welfare department officials, “Vaccine preventable diseases like neonatal and maternal tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough cases are less. But the focus is to curb all these diseases and make the state free from such diseases like polio has been eradicated completely.”
Officials from the health department said that if the schools do not follow the directions as per the scheme and if the students or parents insist against vaccination, the child would not be allowed admission in the school
premises, as it can be a risk to other school children.
“The vaccination will help to prevent an outbreak of any disease which can be prevented by vaccination programme. Apart from the five mandatory vaccines, the special Measles vaccination campaign is being conducted in flood affected high-risk areas, namely Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore and Thoothukudi districts to cover 9 months to 15 year-old children,” the official added.
