Bhubaneswar: Intensifying the immunization programme, Odisha authorities decided to launch second phase of Mission Indradhanush in five districts of the state.

In this regard, Managing Director of National Rural Health Mission, Shalini Pandit, has written a letter to all the collectors of Gajapati, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri and Rayagda asking them to be prepared for the vaccination drive under Centre's health mission.

She asked to indentify the children and pregnant women exempted from vaccination full immunization programme in these districts in the first phase.

According to reports, Mission Indradhanush will again begin in Gajapati, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri and Rayagada districts in four phases from December 2, 2019.

While these districts will be covered under the Central health programme from December 2 in first phase, the second phase will begin on January 6, 2020, the third on February 3, 2020 and the fourth phase has been scheduled on March 2, 2020.

A roadmap has been prepared to carry out the programme covering all the villages and slums in these five districts.

Worth mentioning, Mission Indradhanush immunization programme was launched by Centre in December 2014. To further intensify the programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) on October 8, 2017. The special drive covers low performing areas in selected districts and urban areas. Through the ‘Universal Immunization Programme’ (UIP), the Centre is providing vaccination free of cost against the diseases include diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, severe form of childhood tuberculosis, hepatitis B, meningitis and pneumonia (Hemophilus influenza type B infections), Japanese encephalitis (JE) in JE endemic districts with introduction of newer vaccines such as rotavirus vaccine, IPV, adult JE vaccine, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and measles-rubella (MR) vaccine in UIP/national immunization programme.

In Odisha, the vaccination drive under Mission Indradhanush had started in 10 districts -- Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Balangir, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nuapada and Nabarangpur -- on July 16, 2018.