Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 5.0, the vaccine catch-up campaign, which focusses on reaching zero-dose children aged between 0 and 5 years and pregnant women who might have missed any vaccine doses in the national immunisation schedule, will begin on August 7.
IMI 5.0 will be held in three phases across the country. The first phase will be from August 7 to 12, the second phase from September 11 to 16 and the third phase from October 9 to 14.
While all districts are participating in this catch-up immunisation campaign, IMI 5.0 will target the unvaccinated in the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Kozhikode and Malappuram.
All children in the 0-23 months age group, who might have missed Measles-Rubella vaccine, DPT booster or OPV booster doses and those in the 2-5 years age group who may be fully or partially unimmunised, will be administered the vaccine.
In the State, the authorities have identified 18,744 pregnant women, 61,752 children in the 0-23 months age group, and 54,837 children in the 2-5 years age group have been identified as partially immune. Vaccination will be held in government hospitals and health centres and selected places which will be easy for people to access.
To cover the target population, the State has planned 10,086 immunisation sessions, of which, 289 will be mobile sessions. The Health department is deploying 4,171 trained junior public health nurses to administer the vaccines.
Training
All health workers, including doctors, have been given district and State-level training and the cooperation of other departments have been ensured. The details of those who are administered the vaccine will be reported at the district and State-level.
IMI 5.-0 will be inaugurated by Health Minister Veena George at Poonthura block family health centre on August 7.
UNICEF and WHO officials and senior Health officials were present at the workshop on Thursday.
