Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani launched the state-wide Measles-Rubella vaccination drive from Sector-7 Middle School in Gandhinagar to cover about 1.5-crore children in the age group of 9-month to 15-year.

Speaking on the occasion, he said the drive would spread over five weeks, to cover school-going children up to Standard-X in the first two weeks, those going to Anganwadis in the next two weeks and those left out in the fifth and last week, to ensure no single child remains uncovered.

He said the State’s Health Department has deputed 10,000 vaccinators, divided into teams to cover the target in 70,000 sessions and similarly 40,000 Asha workers for 50,000 Anganwadis. He sought the support of all citizens, parents, schools and voluntary organisations to make a success of the drive, to ensure no single child remains uncovered.

The campaign, which will last for five weeks, will seek to vaccinate 1.6 crore children between the age of nine months to 15 years across the state against measles and rubella. The government has got a 100 per cent grant of Rs 300 crore for the campaign. These two ailments are preventable only by vaccines.

The vaccine would be administered free at all government hospitals. The state government has a cold chain for the movement and preservation of these vaccines.

This is part of the nation’s biggest injectable vaccination drive in 20 states to prevent the disease by 2020.

Those present on the occasion included Minister of State for Health Kumar Kanani, Mayor Pravin Patel, Additional Chief Secretary for Health P.K. Parmar, Health Commissioner Jayanti Ravi and UNICEF Gujarat Representative.