World’s largest Hepatitis B vaccination drive in Modasa

February 23, 2009

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Amrita Didyala

Posted: Feb 23, 2009

Ahmedabad Following the deadly Hepatitis B outbreak in Modasa, the state Health

Department is going to launch a massive vaccination drive. State Health Minister

Jay Narayan Vyas said this on Sunday. With a total of 62 booths across Modasa, 1

lakh disposable syringes, 60,000 adult vaccines and 30,000 peaediatric doses

air-lifted from Hyderabad and training 400 medical workers in a day, the

department is now ready with the infrastructure.

The official death toll due to the outbreak in Modasa and neighbouring areas

touched 38 (three more on Sunday) while the total number of patients crossed 131

on Sunday. The expert teams have already started vaccinating the staff at the

PHC and other government-aided hospitals in the area.

" Tomorrow's vaccination drive will be the biggest of its kind ever undertaken in

the world. We are hopeful of completing the vaccination of around 60,000 people

in and around Modasa by evening, but we will stretch it to Tuesday if required.

Nearly 400 core staff along with over a dozen expert teams form various

institutes in the state have already reached Modasa, " said Vyas.

The Chief District Health Officer (CDHO) of Sabarkantha, HS Patel, said on

Sunday that the Health Department has purchased 1 lakh syringes for the purpose

and will be sending them from Ahmedabad.

" We will go for mass vaccination between 9am and 5pm on Monday. We have set up

60 booths across the town and about 400 female health workers (who will

administer the vaccines) and anganwadis were trained on Sunday, apart from 200

multipurpose workers, " Patel said.

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