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February 21, 2003
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"36,000 Children to Be Vaccinated Against Hepatitis B Virus" Hindu (www.thehindu.com) (02/20/03)
The first phase of a hepatitis B immunization project targeting about 36,000 impoverished children in the Chennai Corporation region is underway, according to Indian Health Minister S. Semmalai. The second phase of the program will reach Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar and the Nilgiris districts. The disease is second only to AIDS, in being the most common cause of death in the region, said Semmalai, and Public Health Director P. Krishnamurthy reported that a state survey in 2000 revealed that 15.4 percent of people between ages 15 and 45 suffered from diseases resulting from hepatitis B infection. The immunization campaign is being funded by the World Health Organization, the Ability Foundation, and UNICEF.
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