The Nepali government is preparing to extend a vaccination campaign against Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in some districts this year, an official at the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) unit under the Child Health Division, said Wednesday.

"The extensive program in Dang, Kailali, Banke and Bardia district will be targeted to all the children above nine months of age," said Shyam Raj Upreti, chief at EPI unit under the Child Health Division.

The campaigning will be done for two months and the vaccination drive will be continued in 24 JE-prone districts.

"We will launch the program once we receive vaccines from the Health Ministry," said Upreti.

According to the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division ( EDCD), JE had killed at least 204 people between June and September last year. A total of 1,249 people were affected during the period.

Source: Xinhua