Haryana to vaccinate children against encephalitis

CHANDIGARH - To save children from falling prey to Japanese encephalitis in five of its districts, the Haryana health department will target nearly 400,000 children for immunization against the fatal disease.

“Children in the age group of one to 15 years in districts of Karnal, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Panipat and Yamuna Nagar are being immunized against encephalitis as they are most vulnerable to the disease,” a health department spokesman said here Monday.

The affected districts have recorded hundreds of case of the disease in the last few years.

“Infected mosquitoes breeding in accumulated water, particularly in paddy fields may cause Japanese encephalitis,” the spokesman said.

Health officials said that the disease shows up with symptoms of high fever, headache, neck-pain, depression, unconsciousness and paralysis.

“It might also cause death. One in three children suffering from the disease can also be rendered mentally and physically disabled,” the spokesman added.

The disease, which can be prevented by vaccination, is spread by a kind of virus and birds and swine also play a major role in spreading the disease, the spokesman said.