Adult BCG Vaccination Campaign Set to Launch in Lakhimpur and Sivasagar Districts of Assam from June 11

LAKHIMPUR: The Adult BCG Vaccination Campaign will be launched in Lakhimpur and Sivsagar districts of Assam form June 11 as pilot project. For the smooth conduct of the campaign, the Lakhimpur District Health Department has already completed all kinds of arrangements. The names of a total of 2,35,437 beneficiaries have been registered in the TBWin Portal. The campaign is an auspicious initiative undertaken by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

Regarding the programme, District TB Officer Dr. Hridayananda Baruah, District Immunization Officer Dr. Bharati Gogoi and District TB Office Assistant Pankaj Sabhapandit addressed a press conference convened at North Lakhimpur Press Club on Friday.

While addressing the media persons Dr. Hridayananda Baruah said, “To be included in the Adult BCG Vaccination campaign, the beneficiaries should be of those who suffered from TB in the last 5(five) years and completed treatment at least one month back and those who have come in contact with a TB patient in the last 3 years. All individuals above 60 years of age, individuals with Body Mass Index (BMI)<=18 (Weight in KG + Height in Meter Square) and very lean and thin person, self-reported smokers and self-reported diabetes patients will be covered within the ambit of the campaign.”

Dr. Baruah further said, “There are some exclusion criteria for adult BCG vaccination (Not to be given BCG vaccine). As per these criteria, individuals below 18 years of age, individuals who refuse to give consent for vaccination, individuals who are seriously ill or bed-ridden, pregnant, lactating woman (irrespective of the baby’s age), currently on TB treatment/TB preventive therapy (taking Tab INH 6 months course) or lost to follow-up case (Incomplete TB treatment), individuals suffering from HIV/Cancer, transplant receivers such as kidney transplants, on immunosuppressive medication (taking Corticosteroids for a long), individuals with known allergy to BCG or any Vaccine, individuals with a history of blood transfusion in the last 3(Three) months and individuals with a history leading to high risk of HIV such as sex workers, Injection Drug Users (IDU), and Transgender will be excluded from the campaign. All Health Care Workers (MO/CHO/ANMs) are requested to go through these Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria before Adult BCG Vaccination sessions”.

Dr Baruah added that the programme would be conducted in seven blocks of Lakhimpur district for about two weeks and 342 ANM nurses would be involved in the vaccination process. For this, arrangements have been made to facilitate the monitoring process at district and block levels as well as at national and state levels. On the other hand, regarding the launch of the campaign in Lakhimpur, an important meeting was held in the conference hall the of Lakhimpur District Commissioner’s Office on Wednesday too to discuss how to involve the concerned departments in the process and involvement of Panchayats and Gram-Pradhans at grassroots level.

The Lakhimpur District Health Department has sought the cooperation of all stakeholders in this campaign in view of the positive efficiency of this vaccine in the prevention and eradication of tuberculosis.

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