Siddhivinayak Trust to provide Rs 10 cr for vaccination drive

The Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust has sanctioned Rs 10 crore for the Maharashtra government's drive of giving pneumococcal vaccines to the children in tribal areas of the state.

Chairman of the Trust, Aadesh Bandekar, said this in a statement issued here on Thursday.

"Of the 16 tribal-dominated districts in the state, the first phase of the vaccination will be carried out in Nandurbar, Palghar, Gadchiroli, Amravati and Nashik for 1.41 lakh children in the age group of 0-1 years," he said.

"The vaccine has to be given three times before a child completes nine months. In these five districts, 4.62 lakh vaccine doses are required," he said adding that the Trust will provide Rs 10 crore for the purpose.

The vaccination will help reduce the incidence of pneumonia among the tribal children, the statement said.