Drop in immunisation drive in dts

Chennai, Jan. 22: Nearly three years after the state government stopped providing immunization for children at village sub-centers, a study conducted jointly by the Christian Medical College in Vellore and the Peoples Health Movement has recorded a distinct drop in immunisation coverage across the districts of Tamil Nadu. The mothers of over 4,000 infants were interviewed, and these women said that traveling to the town PHC for a vaccine was expensive, and meant losing a days wages.The average coverage of the measles vaccine, studied across 11 districts (and 30 villages from each district) had dropped to 87.1 per cent, from the 97.6 per cent claimed by the government- owned DLHS survey. Coimbatore district seems to be the most affected, with a meager 74.3 per cent babies receiving the measles vaccine. Tamil Nadu had the best immunization coverage in the country, because vaccines were taken to the doorsteps of the villagers. Village Health Nurses manned the sub centers and not only performed immunization, but also provided antenatal care for pregnant women, and even conducted deliveries, explained Dr Rakhal, co-convenor of the Medico Friends circle.However, the government shifted all healthcare facilities out of the villages and up into the towns, after the death of four infants at a village sub center in April 2008. Now, the VHNs do not go to the villages. Meanwhile the private sector has swooped down to the village level, providing combination vaccines and mobile immunization, at steep prices, explained Ameer Khan, co-convenor of the Peoples Health Movement.The study also found that each mother spent an average of `168 per vaccine in terms of indirect cost of travel and food.

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