Kathmandu, March 21:

The government is preparing to extend a vaccination campaign against Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in Dang, Kailali, Banke and Bardia, Rupandehi and Kanchanpur districts this year, Dr Shyam Raj Upreti, chief at the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) unit under the Child Health Division, said today.

“The extensive programme in Dang, Kailali, Banke and Bardia will be targeted to all the children above nine months of age,” said Dr Shyam Raj Upreti, chief, Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) unit. “Children below 15 years of age will be vaccinated in Rupandehi and Kanchanpur.”

The campaigning will be done for two months and the vaccination drive will be continued in 24 JE-prone districts.

“We will launch the programme once we receive vaccines from the Health ministry,” said Dr Upreti. The programme has been delayed due to delay caused in the procurement of vaccines, he said.

However, the Health Ministry said the process of procuring JE vaccines was underway.

According to the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), JE had killed at least 204 people between June and September last year. A total of 1249 people were affected during the period.

According to the EDCD, the Banke-based Bheri Zonal Hospital had reported 55 deaths, the Kailali-based Seti Zonal Hospital had reported 42 deaths and the Kailali-based Tikapur Primary Health Centre had reported 20 deaths.

According to the hospitals and health centres, a total of 607 people had contracted the disease in the districts as of September 2005.