India, March 2 -- After a delay of one year, the pilot vaccination drive against Japanese Encephalitis (JE) started in the city on Saturday. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) vaccinated 742 children aged 1 to 15 years on the first day, said officials.

The state health department's second phase of the drive covers Pune, Raigad and Parbhani districts.

Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health officer and city immunisation officer, PMC, "The vaccinated kids included 364 boys and 378 girls from schools and anganwadis in Bhavani Peth, Raviwar Peth, Gokhalenagar, Shivajinagar and Kondhwa."

JE is the leading viral cause of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Asia. The disease primarily affects children under the age of 15 years. Seventy per cent of t...