Kathmandu, March 17

Kathmandu Metropolitan City is set to administer rubella-measles vaccine to 70,000 children during immunisation programme from April 1 to 11.

KMC organised an orientation programme in view of the drive which will be implemented through 267 immunisation centres. The three-day orientation programme started at all 32 wards of KMC from today.

The rubella-measles vaccine is administered to children from nine months to below five years of age. It will be implemented under the government’s National Immunisation Programme.

KMC had declared itself a fully immunized zone on 7 January 2018. Full immunization includes BCG, DPT, Hepatitis B, Hib vaccine, oral polio and one dose of measles-rubella.

According to Nepal Health and Demographic Survey-2011, 13 per cent children across the country were deprived of total coverage of immunization and three per cent had no access to any sorts of immunisation.

As many as 31,870 children will be vaccinated against rubella-measles under immunisation programme that began in Bhaktapur from yesterday. A total of 198 immunisation centres have been set up in Bhaktapur, Madhyapur Thimi, Chagunarayan and Suryabinayak municipalities to implement the programme.

There are at least nine centres at one ward and two volunteers have been mobilised in each centre to immunise children.