Key Takeaways:

• Seven deaths among 13 JE cases reported in Jhapa this year
• Mass vaccination campaign Sept 21–Oct 1 across all 15 local levels
• 570,000 doses, 900 centres, 4,000+ volunteers mobilised for the drive
• Campaign targets citizens aged over 30, as infection rates rise

JHAPA, SEPTEMBER 17 Seven of the 13 people confirmed to have Japanese encephalitis in Jhapa have died, prompting the district authorities to launch a mass vaccination campaign targeting more than 500,000 people. The campaign will run from September 21 to October 1 across all 15 local levels of the district, according to the Public Health Office, Jhapa. Office chief Brij Kumar Das said 570,000 doses of the vaccine had arrived in the district and preparations for the campaign had been completed. These include coordination with local governments, training health workers and managing vaccination centres. 'The vaccination campaign is being conducted with high alertness as the infection and mortality rate of JE is increasing,' Das said. He added that preparations had been made in coordination with local governments and health institutions to ensure that no eligible citizen was left out. The office will establish 900 vaccination centres across 131 wards. Around 500 health workers, 611 female community health volunteers and more than 3,000 other volunteers will be mobilised during the campaign. Das said the vaccination drive was being launched in Jhapa because the district had reported a higher rate of JE infection than other districts in the country. The campaign will target citizens aged over 30, with authorities urging people in the target group to receive the vaccine through the designated centres.