Awareness programme

Nimal Wijesinghe Anuradhapura Additional District group correspondent

The Health Ministry has embarked on a programme to revive the national immunization schedule, by endeavouring to enhance the public faith in the programme.

The setback and retreating position of the islandwide inoculation programme in 2008 and 2009 involving the Rubella and HIB-Pentavalent vaccines is being overcome at present through public awareness according to the Epidemiology Department of the Health Ministry. Unit’s Assistant epidemiologist Dr T S R Peris said for the purpose of creating public awareness regarding the importance and the trustworthiness of the national immunization programme, media workshops have been held in Colombo, Anuradhapura, Matara, Kurunegala, Kandy including the Northern and Eastern regions.

“Through immunization about 99 percent of the preventable diseases have been successfully controlled, global health care reports indicate that over one million deaths per year averted due to pertussis, Diphtheria Tetanus and other vaccines.