A state level meeting on COVID-19 vaccination and National Immunisation Day was held in Kohima on January 28. (DIPR Photo)
DIMAPUR, JANUARY 28 (MExN): A state level meeting on January 28 reviewed the COVID-19 vaccination drive underway in Nagaland and discussed ways to help an ‘overburdened’ Health Department in its vaccination efforts.
The meeting also discussed the upcoming National Immunization Day (NID) for Polio on January 31. It was held under the chairmanship of the Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, senior officials from the Health Department, Social Welfare Department, and development partners from the WHO, UNICEF and UNDP.
State Immunisation Officer, Dr Ritu Thurr informed that as of Thursday, 5,773 beneficiaries have been vaccinated with their first dose. The officer informed that the total number of total beneficiaries registered is 70,274 of which 20,692 are State health care workers. The 1st dose of vaccination drive will be till February 24.
The meeting observed that from the Revenue Department only Kiphire and Mon have registered in the Co-WIN portal.
“The Health department is overburdened with Covid-19 and other parallel activities, therefore other departments will be roped in for the registration. The next STF will need representation from Commissioner’s office for better coordination with all DCs and the DTF should focus on beneficiary registration of FLWs as is specified in the MoHFW operational guidelines,” the meeting resolved.
It was further decided to urgently sensitise Angawadi’s and ASHAs for Covid-19 vaccination to address the coverage through village councils and community health centers to motivate all ASHAs and AWWs. Parallel sensitization will be done through CMO offices and the Social Welfare Department.
The meeting agreed to indentify influencers from every department to mobilise the missed out health care workers with uniform messaging and positive experience after the vaccination. Specific instructions regarding IMI will be going in a day or two to all districts, where CMOs will lead and give specific help to the immunization team pooled from other vertical programmes, it was added.
The next step for vaccinating frontline workers will be coordinated with all allied departments through the DTF, as the Health Department will not be able to handle the surge. The DCs and the DTFs will be leading the districts in registration and carrying out the vaccination of all frontline workers.
Polio immunisation drive on Jan 31
Meanwhile, Nagaland, along with other states in India will launch the Intensive Pulse Polio immunisation drive on January 31.
The Department of Health & Family Welfare is all geared up to administer polio drops to all eligible children from 0-5 years throughout the state in 2,206 polio booths to be manned by 9,096 health personnel and 441 supervisors along with vaccines and other logistics.
During the review meeting, Senior Medical Officer, WHO, Dr Sheila Longkumer, informed that the State is ready to start 3 days campaign with a target of 1,51,000 and 80% coverage with children below 5 years. With a goal to eradicate polio in the country, at the State level it will be launched at Naga Hospital Kohima.
During the 3 days campaign, Monday and Tuesday will be house to house, while Sunday will be open for those who could not get vaccinated on those two days. IMI 3.0 will be carried out in all districts except Longleng. IMI 3.0 is a special immunisation drive to vaccinate missed out and left out children in hard to reach areas of the districts, she added.
Special focus will be given to migrant population with an aim to prevent importation of Polio cases, informed a report from the DIPR.
While thanking everyone for their past cooperation, the department has appealed to all sections of the society, agencies (Government, and Non Government, including the security forces and police), organizations, churches and community leaders and especially parents of children below 5 years of age to come forward and ensure that all eligible children receive the polio drops on January 31.
The report stated that India has remained free of wild polio cases since January 2011 and India’s unprecedented progress against polio has led to certification of the South East Asian region including India by the WHO in March 2014.
India remains at high risk of importation till the whole world is free of wild polio virus. As per the recommendations of the India Expert Advisory Group (IEAG) on Polio, NIDs are to be conducted covering all the children in the age group 0-5 years of age using bOPV.
