Govt launches Measles-Rubella vaccine campaign to cover nearly 3.6 crore children

India launched a single shot Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine campaign on Sunday, with an aim to initially cover nearly 3.6 crore children against these two diseases, and later will be extended across the country.

India launched a single shot Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine campaign on Sunday, with an aim to initially cover nearly 3.6 crore children against these two diseases, and later will be extended across the country.

India launched a single shot Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine campaign on Sunday.(Diwakar Prasad/HT File Photo)

According to the ministry, after the campaign the MR vaccine will be introduced in routine immunisation, replacing the two doses of measles vaccine given to children at 9-12 months and 16-24 months of age.

“The government is committed to eradicating measles and rubella from the country. This shall be taken up in a mission mode and rolled out in partnership with state governments and NGOs, among others. In this nationwide drive, the ministry will cover 41 crore children in the age group of 9 months to 15 years,” said Faggan Singh Kulaste, minister of state for health. The campaign will first be launched in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Goa and Lakshadweep.

All children aged between nine months and less than 15 years will be given a single shot of MR vaccination irrespective of their previous measles/rubella vaccination status or measles/rubella disease status.

“MR vaccine will be provided free of cost across the states from session sites at schools as well as health facilities and outreach session sites,” a statement from the health ministry reads.

Measles is a deadly disease and one of the main causes behind child mortality in the country. Globally, in 2015, measles killed an estimated 1,34,200 kids, mostly under the age of five years. In India, it killed 49,200 children. Rubella is generally a mild infection, but has serious consequences if infection occurs in pregnant women, causing congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), which is a cause of public health concern.