Chhattisgarh would launch the Measles-Rubella campaign on August 6 which will cover all the children in the age group of 9 months to 15 years (10th standard) through the vaccination, said Dr Amar Singh Thakur, State Immunisation Officer, Government of Chhattisgarh. He was briefing the interaction with Editors session held at local hotel at Raipur on Sunday evening. As per the recommendation of National Technical Advisory Group of Immunisation in June 2014, it is being introduced in routine immunization programme, following a nation-wide MR campaign. Both the doses of measles vaccine provided at 9-12 months and 16-24 months, will be replaced by MR vaccine under routine immunization. He adds that MR vaccine introduction campaign is being rolled out in a phased manner, targeting children aged 9 months to less than 15 years, irrespective of their previous vaccination status with MCV or history of illness. He pointed out that Measles is one of the most common vaccine-preventable diseases among the under-five children in India, for which the country has been providing vaccination under universal immunization programme, since 1985 across all states. Measles (Choti Mata) reported cases in year 2015-16 were around 50 cases per lakh population. It has made important gains in recent years. Measles deaths have decline by 51 percent from an estimated 100000 in 2000 to 49000 in 2015. The rubella is also a viral disease which is of mild nature but the issue of congenital rubella syndrome is more critical as it leads to death, heart defect, blindness or deafness. India has reported around 40 to 50,000 cases. In Chhattisgarh around 85 lakh children would be targeted through the drive while 70% vaccinated in schools. Even if the vaccination has already been administered even then, it can be administered like the polio drops. The issue is that injection used would be auto-destructible. On Monday and Friday and holidays it would not be administered with routine immunization days. On question of immunization in tribal inaccessible areas, Dr Thakur could not clarify on the point that if schools are being targeted, then many of tribal children are out of reach of schools. On which, Dr Ajay Trakaroo of UNICEF stated that ‘Haat Bazaar’ is being used as venue for vaccination. On the occasion Angshuman Moitra, Senior Project Officer, Chhattisgarh, Dr Manish Gawande, Sub regional, Team Leader, WHO, , Narendra Yadav, Director CMSR Foundation, New Delhi among others were also present. The much publicised measles-rubella vaccination drive will start in Chhattisgarh from August. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has successfully carried out measles-rubella vaccination campaign in five states. The campaign aims to cover 35 million children from age group of nine months to less that 15 years across the nation. The World Health Organisation (WHO), which is the lead technical agency responsible for coordination for immunisation and surveillance in India, and the ministry initiated this campaign in collaboration with various stakeholders and professional bodies and organisations. “The first phase of measles-rubella vaccination campaign has been successfully completed in five states, namely, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Lakshadweep and Puducherry. More than 3.3 crore children were vaccinated in schools, community centres and health facilities,” the ministry said. Another round of the campaign will commence from August 2017 in Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana and Uttarakhand, aiming to cover 3.4 crore children. “For those children who have already received such vaccination, the campaign dose would provide additional boosting to them. MR vaccine will become a part of routine immunization and will replace measles vaccine currently given at 9-12 months and 16-24 months of age of child,” the Ministry said. Measles is communicated through droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons. Initial symptoms include high fever, a runny nose, bloodshot eyes, and tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth, developing a rash develops, starting on the face and upper neck and gradually spreading downwards. Under the Global Vaccine Action Plan, WHO plans the elimination of measles and rubella by 2020 in five regions. According to reports, in India, measles affects an estimated 2.5 million children every year, killing nearly 49,000 of them. The WHO further states that global deaths have decreased by 75 per cent worldwide from 544,000 deaths in 2000 to 146,000 in 2013.
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