KATHMANDU, Sept 30: Rukum (East), the youngest district of Nepal, has been declared the 62nd fully-vaccinated district.
The district was declared a fully-immunized district as all children in the district have been administered the regular vaccines as per the birth-two years immunization schedule. The declaration was made at a program organized by the District Public Health Office and the District Vaccination Coordinating Committee on the premises of Sasne Village on Wednesday.
On the occasion, Speaker of Lumbini Provine, Purna Bahadur Gharti signed a commitment letter and declared the district as fully-vaccinated.
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According to the health office, the district has been declared fully vaccinated after 1,300 children from birth to 15 months and 934 children from 16 to 23 months were given shots of the regular vaccines.
Earlier, all three rural municipalities of the district were declared as fully vaccinated rural municipalities. “After all the three rural municipalities, the district has also been declared a fully vaccinated district,” said Gaurav Dhakal, chief of Rukum (East) Health Office. Now, all children of the target group in all 12 districts of Lumbini Province have been fully vaccinated.
“As per the commitment to declare Nepal a fully vaccinated country, 62 districts have been fully vaccinated so far,” said Basant Kumar Shrestha of the Vaccination Branch of the Department of Health Services.
According to him, about 90 percent of the municipalities in the country have been fully vaccinated. He said that the children from birth to 23 months of age have been vaccinated regularly since 2009 to reduce the infant mortality rate. Due to this, the infant mortality rate in Nepal has been reduced significantly.
In the program, various people who helped in the vaccination campaign were honored with certificates.
