Sep 29, Kathmandu - A total of 270,246 people have received Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccines in Jhapa District, reaching 54 percent of the campaign’s target, the District Health Office said.

Health Office Chief Brij Kumar Das said Mechinagar Municipality has recorded the highest number of vaccinations, with 40,313 people vaccinated. The campaign began there on Ashwin 5 and is targeting residents aged 30 and above. Vaccinations are being administered by trained health workers at local health posts and public locations.

Vaccination figures across other municipalities include 35,605 in Damak, 28,680 in Birtamod, 20,769 in Shivasatakshi, 19,636 in Gauradaha, 18,029 in Arjundhara, 17,928 in Kankai and 10,205 in Bhadrapur. The campaign is also underway in the rural municipalities of Kamal, Jhapa, Gauriganj, Barhadashi, Haldibari, Kachankawal and Buddhashanti.

Thirteen JE infections have been confirmed in the district this fiscal year, and seven of those patients have died, Das said.

The district aims to vaccinate 570,000 people, with 500 health workers deployed for the campaign. Jhapa was the first district in Koshi Province to launch the vaccination drive.