Dimapur, March 19 (EMN): A programme marking the launch of the TT to Td conversion—conversion of Tetanus (TT) to Tetanus and adult diphtheria (Td)—was conducted at the Imkongliba Memorial District Hospital (IMDH) on March 19 in Mokokchung.
The joint director and state immunization officer for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Rito Thurr, spoke during the formal segment of the occasion.
The officer said that the World Health Organization (WHO) had recommended that TT should be replaced by the Td vaccine, and since 1998. Td vaccine is a combination of Tetanus and diphtheria with lower concentration of diphtheria antigen (d) as recommended for older children and adults.
The use of Td is rather recommended than TT during pregnancy to protect against maternal and neonatal Tetanus and diphtheria during prenatal care. Vaccination during pregnancy also serves to boost immunity and increase the duration of protection in those pregnant women who had not received the full set recommended booster doses.
The launch was followed by a “felicitation” of departments that had actively worked for the measles rubella vaccination campaign (MRVC) from October 3 to the 29th of November 2018, in the district.
The chief medical officer of Mokokchung, Dr. Chubala Aier, gave the keynote address. She thanked the district administration, departments of Social Welfare, Education, Information & Public Relations; and the All Nagaland Private School Association of the district for ‘taking active part during the MRVC.’
