Delhi now has full MR vaccine coverage, say officials

According to officials, the month-long drive started with the aim to eliminate the two diseases from Delhi by the end of 2023. However, officials added that the government will continue the sweeping drives till March 29 to ensure that children who were left out are vaccinated

Delhi on Thursday achieved 100% coverage for measles and rubella (MR) vaccination among children in the age cohort of nine months to five years, senior officials aware of the matter said on Friday.

The Delhi government started a month-long MR vaccination drive for children on February 6. Looking at the high turnout, the government decided to extend the drive beyond March 6 across all 11 districts. (HT Archive)

According to officials, the month-long drive started with the aim to eliminate the two diseases from Delhi by the end of 2023. However, officials added that the government will continue the sweeping drives till March 29 to ensure that children who were left out are vaccinated.

A senior official of the Delhi government’s health and family welfare department confirmed on Friday that till Thursday, the government vaccinated 1,107,606 eligible children with a booster dose of MR vaccine, achieving 100% coverage.

“We have successfully vaccinated 100% of the target population. We will continue our sweeping drives till March 29, to ensure that migrant children unaccounted for during the surveys, children whose guardians refused the doses, and those who were left out but are in the eligible age bracket are covered,” said the official.

Measles is a highly infectious viral disease, causing fever and rash in children and may lead to symptoms such as diarrhea, and pneumonia. In critical cases, it may also lead to death among young children.

Dr Meena J, senior consultant (paediatrics and neonatology) at Aakash Healthcare, said that though measles is a self-limiting disease rarely leading to complications, the MR vaccine is an important component of the universal immunisation programme.

“Measles has high infectivity, meaning one child can infect many others through droplets and aerosol transmission. If not treated, it can lead to severe infection, even though it is self-limiting. The MR vaccine is the safest and easiest way to prevent transmission within the community. A lot of children did not receive MR vaccines due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so this campaign is even more important,” Dr Meena said.

Rubella is also a contagious viral infection recognised by its distinctive red rash. The disease can spread through direct contact with the saliva or mucus of an infected person or through respiratory droplets in the air produced from coughing or sneezing.

The Delhi government started a month-long MR vaccination drive for children on February 6. Looking at the high turnout, the government decided to extend the drive beyond March 6 across all 11 districts. The sessions will now go on till March 29.

Delhi’s MR vaccination drive was earlier roped into a legal battle in 2019 after a petition was filed in the Delhi high court against the administration not seeking consent from guardians before administering the vaccines. Even as the government suggested the “opt-out” option, where parents could decide whether they want their wards vaccinated, the drive was not resumed.