Mangaluru: The state government of Karnataka will implement ‘Mission Indradhanush’ from April 7, Health and Family Welfare Minister informed press here at circuit house on Monday. The minister claimed Karnataka was the first state to launch the scheme in the country.

The scheme aims at covering the children who are unvaccinated and partially vaccinated in selected districts across the country. It is designed to prevent seven vaccine preventable diseases which include diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B.

The minister told the press, that the state was first to implement the scheme. He told reporters that in the first phase the state would focus on the five Hyderabad-Karnataka districts of Kalaburgi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppala, Bellari and Bengaluru (urban). The state has identified 5,200 areas and 659 booths to vaccinate children and expecting mothers. “There are 18,201 unvaccinated or partially vaccinated pregnant women, while 68,143 children too fall under this category in 5200 areas.

In reality, there are reports in many sections of the media, that Tamil Nadu is also implementing the scheme from April 7. The minister seemed unaware of this report. When Newskarnataka.com tried to contact the minister to clarify on this, he did not respond to the phone call.