Kathmandu, Oct. 9 -- A few days after the Bhotekoshi flood, members of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee sat down for a meeting to discuss risks of communicable diseases. Such risk remains high in the aftermath of the disaster, said Dr Arun Kumar Neopane, a member of the committee. "Our own experiences of the past show that," he said. "Authorities concerned should not take much time to take precautionary measures."

The committee's meeting recommended the government launch a vaccination drive against communicable diseases, including measles, tetanus, and cholera, among others.

Health authorities soon launched anti-cholera vaccination in the affected areas targeting 100,000 people, but could inoculate only 70 percent of the tar...