KATHMANDU, Jan 5: Over two dozen schools in the capital have boycotted the measles-rubella vaccination campaign launched by the government three weeks ago, according to the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) said.
The Child Health Division (CHD) under the Department of Health Services (DoHS) said all the left-out schools are renowned but are also notorious for charging parents exorbitantly. [break]
According to an official at CHD, students of more than 20 such schools in Lalitpur boycotted the vaccination campaign. Likewise, half a dozen schools in Kathmandu also avoided the campaign. The schools questioned the reliability of the vaccine and barred the health workers from entering the school premises, according to officials.
Earlier, the CHD had sought help from District Education Offices (DEO) and District Administration Offices to make sure the children in those schools are vaccinated. And the DEO and DAO had warned the schools against boycotting the campaign.
"Following the DEO warning, the schools have agreed to allow vaccinations in the schools," said Taranath Pokhrel, Chief of CHD. Dr Pokhrel however refused to disclose the names of such schools. While the campaign concludes next week, the schools are already closed for winter vacation. CHD said the children in those schools will be immunized after the schools reopen after the vacation.
Rubella in pregnant women can cause congenital rubella syndrome, with potentially devastating consequences to babies, according to doctors. They said that children infected with rubella at birth are at risk of several deformities and health complications such as slow growth, mental retardation, malformations of the heart and eyes, deafness and problems related to liver, spleen and bone marrow.
It is believed that every year about 1,400 children are born with physical disabilities because of rubella infection. Over 10 percent of pregnant women are under the risk of infection with the rubella virus, according to government reports.
About 5.7 million children aged from 9 months to 15 years in the central and eastern development regions are being immunized with measles and rubella (MR) vaccines in the third phase of the MR Campaign that kicked off on December 14.
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