The Gomati District in Tripura launched an adult hepatitis B vaccination campaign on Monday, targeting high-risk populations. As part of the initiative, 11 individuals identified as being at elevated risk of contracting the disease received the vaccine during a small camp organized at Khilpara. Dr. Saumik Chakraborty, the District Programme Officer for the Viral Hepatitis Control Programme, provided details of the event. The vaccination is offered free of charge.
This 1 ml dose aims to prevent the transmission of the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) among high-risk groups, including individuals with multiple sexual partners, people with a history of injecting drug use, and others at increased risk.
The participants for today’s camp were mobilized by Nari Kalyan Samiti, a targeted intervention NGO.
Dr. Chakraborty explained that priority groups for vaccination include healthcare workers, individuals with multiple sexual partners, female sex workers (FSW), men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender individuals (TG), migrants, people with a history of injecting drug use, prison inmates, individuals living with HIV/AIDS, and household contacts of those with chronic HBV.
Dr. Kamal Reang, the Chief Medical Officer of Gomati District, shared that the district recently received 2,000 doses of the vaccine. The district plans to continue vaccinating high-risk populations on a weekly basis. Each individual will receive three doses of the vaccine, administered at intervals of zero days, one month, and six months. Various targeted intervention NGOs are collaborating with the health department to ensure the success of this initiative.
(Tripura, Northeast)
