A special measles-rubella (MR) vaccination programme for children between nine months and 15 years, to be run by the state health department, starts on Monday.
Around 2.5 crore children across the state are eligible for the measles-rubella shot, while for Kolkata the count stands at 12 lakh, health department officials said.
The programme will continue for five weeks. In the first three weeks, vaccination camps will be held in schools.
“On Monday, camps will be held in 10,000 schools across the state,” said an official.
“The special dose, which has already been administered in most states, will help in controlling the incidence of measles and rubella,” the official said.
The measles-rubella vaccine is part of the routine immunisation programme for children run by the state government. Private hospitals and clinics, too, administer the measles-rubella vaccine.
“The measles-rubella vaccine was included in the government immunisation programme two or three years back. So there are many who have not received the dose. This special vaccination drive will give families an opportunity to get their kids vaccinated,” the official said.
A paediatrician said even children who are already vaccinated against measles and rubella can take the additional dose. “After three weeks, we will start a mop-up campaign to identify those who are yet to be vaccinated and motivate the families to get their children the dose,” said an official of the health department.
In the city, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation is in charge of running the drive.