Diphtheria scare: Task force set up to boost immunisation

The district administration has set up a task force in view of a few suspected cases of diphtheria surfacing. Revealing this, Civil Surgeon Dr Jai Bhagwan Jatain said the district-level task force had been set up after nine suspected cases of the diphtheria surfaced in the district the past few weeks, adding that, while lab reports ruled out the suspicion of the disease in six cases, the reports for three were yet to come.

It is claimed that the move comes after reports of such cases were reported in a few neighbouring districts of Rajasthan. The disease is contagious and can spread easily, especially among children.

The task force, headed by Civil Surgeon Dr Jatain, comprises officials from the education and health departments and local administration. The team will work on a detailed plan to keep a vigil and conduct health checks at the micro level, especially in the villages located in the border areas of the district, awhere an alert has been sounded, it is reported.

Dr Jatain said after a meeting, on Friday, officials of the departments concerned were directed to intensify check-ups and improve provisions for immunisation at the ground level.

“Immunisation is a critical public health measure that protects children and communities from diseases like diphtheria,’’ he said, adding that the department was committed to working collaboratively to increase vaccination rates in the district and to ensure no child was left unprotected.