World’s largest vaccine campaign in the second phase; targets 3.4 crore children in India

NewsBharati    18-Sep-2017
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New Delhi, September 18: With the support of World Health Organisation (WHO), India have had launched its campaign on Measles and Rubella (MR) along with ten other WHO South-East Asia Region member countries on 5th February 2017.

 
To eliminate measles and control rubella by 2020, the Health Ministry took an initiative of measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign for the age group of 9 months- 15 years. The main aim of this campaign is to cover approximately 41 crore children, which is going to be world’s largest ever vaccine campaign.

Following the campaign, 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 a child. This campaign is carried out in various phases. The Vaccination is available Free of cost at all government health facilities.

According to WHO reports, in the first phase, states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Lakshadweep and Puducherry have been successfully completed under the measles-rubella campaign. More than 3.6 crore children have been vaccinated. Schools, Community centres and health facilities are the places where the campaign is carried out by the ministry.

Started in August 2017, the second phase’s vaccination programme is carried out in schools, community centres and health facilities in eight states and Union Territories -- Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana and Uttarakhand aiming almost 3.4 crore children to be vaccinated. To knock this disease out by building up the immunity for both the Measles and rubella diseases this campaign is build up rapidly.

Most childhood deaths occur because of measles and every year around three million cases of measles are seen in which 9,00,000 children die worldwide due to measles.

While in India, around 27 lakh children every year are infected with measles in result 500 children die every day. Survivals suffer from various diseases like diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition. Vaccine coverage is the worrying part against measles because in India it is 66% and even less than 50% in other states.

During pregnancy, every year in India 40,000 babies are born with birth defects because of Rubella Infection because at the childbearing age 40-45% of women are infected with Rubella.

Measles Rubella World Health Organisation diarrhoea pneumonia and malnutrition Tamil Nadu Karnataka Goa Lakshadweep Puducherry