Gandhinagar, June 16 (IANS) Gujarat has launched a statewide TD (Tetanus and adult Diphtheria) and DPT vaccination campaign targeting nearly 19 lakh schoolchildren, with health authorities aiming to ensure that no eligible child is left unvaccinated against a range of serious diseases.

The “TD and DPT Triple Vaccination Campaign-2026” was formally launched by State Health Minister Praful Pansheriya at PM Shri Borij Government Primary School in Gandhinagar, where vaccines were administered to Class 5 and Class 10 students as well as children who had completed five years of age.

Under the campaign, the state government will organise 48,529 TD vaccination sessions across 48,295 schools to cover an estimated 18.75 lakh children.

The drive will be supported by 992 teams operating under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK). As part of the National Immunisation Schedule, children aged five years are administered the second dose of the DPT booster vaccine.

To facilitate this, authorities will conduct 35,819 vaccination sessions across 38,794 Balvatikas, covering an estimated 5.89 lakh children.

Addressing the gathering, Pansheriya said healthy citizens form the foundation of India’s long-term development goals. “The dream envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of a ‘Best India, Developed India, Cultural India and Virtuous India’ by 2047 rests on the foundation of healthy citizens,” he said.

He said the Gujarat government was committed to ensuring that every child received vaccinations and that maternal health remained a priority.

“Our health system is working round the clock, reaching every household and school so that no child is deprived of vaccination and mothers remain healthy,” the minister said.

Highlighting the importance of immunisation, Pansheriya recalled that delays in the availability of vaccines in earlier decades had left many children vulnerable to diseases such as polio, often resulting in lifelong disability.

He said advances in global medical research and healthcare access had transformed vaccination efforts in India.

Referring to the country’s success against polio, he said, “After the last polio case was reported in 2007, the combined efforts of schools, teachers, the media and NGOs helped us eradicate the disease.”

The minister also said Gujarat had recently emerged as the leading state in the country’s cervical cancer vaccination programme for girls aged 14 to 15 years.

“More than 5.50 lakh girls in Gujarat have been vaccinated against cervical cancer, helping protect them from future cancer risks,” he said.

Pansheriya urged children to avoid junk food, adopt nutritious diets and maintain personal hygiene, including washing hands with soap before meals.

He said the health department would continue its efforts until every eligible child in the state had been covered under the campaign and thanked educational institutions, teachers, media organisations and voluntary groups for supporting the vaccination drive.

Health Commissioner Ratan Kanwar Gadhvi Charan welcomed participants at the event and explained the importance of vaccination to children and parents, urging families to ensure that their children receive the recommended doses.

Among those present were Gandhinagar Mayor Mira Patel, MLA Rita Patel, Municipal Commissioner J.S. Prajapati and senior officials from the health and education departments.

–IANS

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