Short film gives a shot in the arm for vaccination

KOCHI: The doctors have come out with a short film to emphasise the importance of taking basic vaccination among children at the right time.  They are reaching out to the people with it at a time when there is resistance to taking vaccine from a few quarters. The short film titled Thiricharivu (Realisation) tells the story of a middle class family where the father is strongly against vaccination. The reason  is that he had never taken any vaccines.

Still he is healthy. There are a lot of anti-vaccine campaigns even in social media like Facebook and WhatsApp. The story takes a sudden turn after the father hears about the death of the daughter of a friend due to diphtheria in a medical college. She was not immunized.

Suddenly the words of his daughter and wife come to his mind. At that point, he realises what he missed. He hurries  to his daughter’s school. Actually, that was the school vaccination day. His daughter was sitting all alone in her classroom as all the others had left after vaccination. He rushes her to the doctor and the class teacher, from where the educative part of the film starts.

The doctor explains in detail about vaccination, its side effects and the current vaccination schedule. It cautions against all those who spread unscientific campaign against vaccination. The short film is an initiative of the Kerala branch of Indian Academy of Paediatrics.

The concept of the film is by Dr. Jiss Thomas Palukunnel, secretary, IAP Kottayam, and Dr. Sunu John, vice-president, and executed by the entire Kottayam IAP team. The actors are doctors from different specialties, including Dr. Jiss Thomas and Dr. Sunu John from paediatrics, Dr. Jibin from surgery, Dr.  Bulbul from anaesthesia and Dr. Linto from health services.

The distribution of the film is taken up by IMA Kerala, Physician Association and a few specialties. “We are planning to show it in schools across the state and also in movie halls and propose to move the government to propagate it since the basic vaccination is supported by the government also and offered free in government hospitals,” said Dr Jiss Thomas Palukunnel.