Amid measles outbreak, rush for MMR vaccination

According to the health department officials, the vaccination coverage for the first dose of MMR in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is just 46 per cent

As parts of Maharashtra have reported measles outbreak, parents concerned about their kids are rushing for routine measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination for their children, said doctors of city-based hospitals.

Many parts of Maharashtra have reported measles outbreak. (HT file photo)

So far, at least 13 measles deaths are reported in Mumbai and around 220 cases in the area. The Centre has asked states to consider administering an additional dose of measles and rubella vaccines to children aged nine months to five years, in vulnerable areas.

In Pune, no case has been reported so far.

According to the health department officials, the vaccination coverage for the first dose of MMR in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is just 46 per cent whereas the second dose coverage is 40 per cent.

Dr Madhur Rao, senior deputy medical administrator, KEM Hospital Pune, said that the number of parents coming for vaccination has increased due to outbreak in other parts of Maharashtra.

“We have seen an increased demand for measles vaccination since the last few days. We have enough stock of vaccines,” said Dr Rao.

Dr Anshu Sethi, paediatrician and neonatologist from city-based Apollo Clinic, Vimannagar, said that the first dose of vaccines against measles should be given at the age of 9 months to 15 months and second dose at 5 to 6 years.

“To prevent being infected, it is important to have the vaccination cover. This breaks the series of infections caused by airborne droplets. Treatment is symptomatic only, there is no cure with medicine but development of antibodies inside human beings,” said Dr Sethi.

Dr Abhijeet Lodha, physician, Ruby Hall Clinic, said that there is 10-15 per cent increase in parents coming in for MMR vaccination.

“There is an increase in number of parents coming to us for routine vaccination. If children have taken their first dose then 95 per cent chances are there that they won’t get measles and if they have taken the second dose then there are more than 96 per cent chances that the infection will not happen. And therefore, vaccination is important for children,” said Dr Lodha.

Meanwhile, a letter issued by Central health minister has asked states to consider, “administering one additional dose of measles and rubella containing vaccines (MRCVs) to all children aged 9 months to 5 years in vulnerable areas (geographies which are showing recent increase in numbers of measles cases) should be identified by the state government/UT administration in ‘outbreak response immunisation (ORl)’ mode”.