Kakinada, Nov 19th: Health authorities will soon take up vaccination for the vector borne disease, Japanese encephalitis (JE), as part of the universal immunization drive in both East and West Godavari districts. This will be for the target group of children aged between one year and below 15 years. Though no cases were detected in the Godavari districts in the recent past state government has picked up four districts initially to taken up vaccination for JE.

The medical and health authorities have been carrying out various measures to contain several types of mosquitoes which spread diseases like malaria, filaria, dengue, chikunguniya and Japanese encephalitis. Agency areas in East Godavari district witnesses a large number of malaria cases a few weeks ago, forcing the district administration to announce a health emergency, with drastic changes in climatic conditions, the intensity of malaria has come down at present.

Authorities will initiate anti-larval measures like spraying of malathion  and  fogging operations. The malaria zonal officer, Dr. B. Phanidra Kumar said, “We are making all efforts to ensure that people do not fall victim to vector borne diseases by initiating preventive measures as well providing medical care”.