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City sees only one measles outbreak in 2023
Since the outbreak in the M-East ward (Govandi) in October 2022, the city has seen 20 casualties, out of which 12 are suspected measles deaths.
Mumbai: In 2023, the city recorded only one measles outbreak in January, said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) health department.
“This year we saw only one outbreak in January that happened in Colaba health post. We had two positive cases. All the other active measles outbreaks were reported in December,” said the BMC health official.
According to a BMC report, Mumbai has 78 active outbreaks as of now. L Ward (Kurla) has the highest number of active outbreaks (12) followed by E Ward- Byculla (7) and PN-Malad, West (7).
Measles, which is caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family, is a highly contagious respiratory disease. An outbreak is a cluster of at least five cases from the same area, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The health official said that as per the guidelines by the government of India if there are five cases of fever and rashes in a health post out of which two are laboratory confirmed, the health post is considered to have a measles outbreak.
“We then start a continuous fever and rash surveillance. Vitamin A supplements are given or if required, the child is hospitalised. The surveillance is continued till the time there are zero cases of fever and rashes, after which 28 days gap is given before the health post is declared free of measles,” added the official. Mumbai has 210 health posts and every health post has a population of 60,000 to 80,000.
Since the outbreak in the M-East ward (Govandi) in October 2022, the city has seen 20 casualties, out of which 12 are suspected measles deaths. The state measles task force said while the measles vaccination coverage in the city/state is satisfactory, routine immunisation should be strengthened to avoid future outbreaks.
BMC said that they have achieved more than 80% measles vaccine coverage in the wards affected by the infection.
Meanwhile, since its start on December 1, the outbreak response immunisation (ORI) undertaken by the civic body, 82.79% (1,92,208) of the eligible children between 9 months to 5 years of age and 89.09% (4,556) of eligible children in the 6 months and 9 months have been immunised. BMC has also arranged mobile teams to vaccinate children at construction sites and nomadic sites. The drive was started on December 24 and 147 children from the construction sites and 148 children from nomadic sites were given measles vaccine doses.
“We have achieved 80-85% of additional measles dose coverage in the outbreak health posts. We are continuing our drive on measles vaccination. Overall, too, we have an 80% above coverage,” said the BMC health official.
Dr Subhash Salunkhe, former Director of Health for Maharashtra who heads the task force said achieving maximum measles vaccination coverage is needed to stop the measles outbreak. “We have been regularly reviewing the vaccine coverage and surveillance in the city/state and it is satisfactory. We need to now concentrate on routine vaccination coverage,” he said.
