HT Correspondent
SIVASAGAR, June 11: In a major attempt to rid the country of TB by 2025, the Health Department launched the Adult BCG Vaccination Programme at a meeting presided over by district commissioner Aditya Vikram Yadav on Tuesday. The event was attended by the state consultant on TB Eradication Mission, Dr Gautam Buragohain, state immunisation officer, Dr Sabita Das, state cold chain officer, BK Choudhury, immunisation project officer, Dr Minakshi Buragohain, joint director of Health, Dr Saurabh Gogoi, district immunisation officer, Dr Arundhati Bora Hazarika, and other Health Department officials. DC Sivasagar, while inaugurating the programme, assured the Health Department of full cooperation from the administration for successful implementation.
The programme has been launched in two high-prevalence districts of the state, Sivasagar and Lakhimpur.
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Providing details of the programme on Monday, Dr Saurov Kumar Gogoi, the joint director of Health and FW Department, stated that the BCG vaccination would be administered to people above 18 years since the BCG vaccine administered to babies is effective only until that age. Priority will be given to people with diabetes and tobacco consumers as they are more susceptible to TB infection. Dr Gogoi expressed confidence that the new programme would eliminate the disease by 2025, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Dr Dwijen Koch, district TB officer, Sivasagar, mentioned that a total of 152,783 registered TB patients in the district will be brought to seven designated vaccination camps in Kalugaon, Gaurisagar, Morabazar, Kheluwa, Demow, Gelekey, and Wood Urban Centre for vaccination and distribution of beneficiary kits provided by the government. Dr Koch highlighted that despite the best efforts through centrally orchestrated programmes like DoT (Directly Observed Therapy), the disease has spread due to affected individuals’ lack of awareness. Many beneficiaries discontinue the medication once they feel better, leading to drug-resistant TB. Dr Koch assured that the BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) vaccine, first administered to humans in 1921, is safe for all.
The meeting was also attended by Dr Sadhan Borah, sub-divisional health officer, Nazira, Jyotismita Saikia, PPM coordinator, Anjuma Changmai, district community mobiliser, and Anjushree Phukan, district media coordinator.
