Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government today decided to launch a special vaccination drive in 10 select districts of the State under ‘Mission Indradhanush’ (MI) from July 16.  Mission Indradhanush is a Central government initiative launched in 2014 with an aim to achieve full immunisation.

The districts are Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Balangir, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nuapada and Nabarangpur.

This was informed by the State Health and Family Welfare Department Pramod Kumar Meherda after heading a state-level task force meeting at State Secretarait this afternoon.

The vaccination drive will be organised in three phases. While the first phase will start on July 16, the second and third phases will begin from August 13 and September 10 respectively, Meherda added.

All children under the age of two and pregnant women will be covered under this drive.

National Health Mission MD Shalini Pandit, Women and Child Development Department Joint Secretary, Health Services Directorate, Family Welfare Director, Director of Health and Family Welfare Institute and officials of other department were present at the meeting.

Launched in December 2014, Mission Indradhanush was designed as a booster vaccination programme in 201 districts with low immunisation coverage to ensure that all children under the age of two and pregnant women are fully immunised against seven life-threatening diseases — tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and measles.