Second
phase of measles-rubella vaccination drive launched in eight states
7th August:
The MR vaccine is meant for every child in 9 months to less than 15 years group, and can be administered even if they have already received it. It was started across the country under the universal immunisation programme (UIP)
The MR vaccine is meant for every child in 9 months to less than 15 years group, and can be administered even if they have already received it. It was started across the country under the universal immunisation programme (UIP)
Union health ministry’s campaign aims to vaccinate
approximately 41 crore children against measles and rubella in a phased manner,
making it the largest-ever worldwide.
Aiming to eliminate measles and curb instances of rubella by 2020, the
Centre has rolled out the second phase of its measles-rubella (MR) vaccination
campaign in the country.
The second
phase of campaign will cover Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana,
Uttarakhand, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Nearly 3.4 crore children will be covered in this stage.
Measles is a viral infection that can be fatal, congenital rubella
syndrome is responsible for irreversible birth defects. The Union health
ministry’s campaign against the two diseases intends to
cover approximately 41 crore children in a phased manner, making it the
largest-ever worldwide.
The first phase of the campaign was launched across five states — Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,
Goa, Lakshadweep and Puducherry — in February this year.
MEASLES – RUBELLA
Measles is highly
contagious and spreads through coughing and sneezing of an infected person. It
can also make a child vulnerable to life threatening complications such as
diarrhoea, pneumonia and brain infection. Symptoms of the infection can include
cataracts and deafness. It can also affect the heart and the brain.
Rubella, also known as German measles or three-day measles, is an infection caused by the rubella
virus. It is
symptomatically similar to measles. It is generally a mild infection, but has
serious consequences if infection occurs in pregnant women, causing congenital
rubella syndrome (CRS).
Rubella is
usually spread through the air via coughs of people who are infected.People
are infectious during the week before and after the appearance of the rash.
Babies with CRS may spread the virus for more than a year.Only humans are infected. Insects do not spread the disease. Once recovered, people are immune to future infections.
CRS is characterized by congenital anomalies in the foetus and newborns affecting the eyes (cataract, glaucoma), brain (microcephaly, mental retardation), ears (hearing loss) and heart defects.
CRS is characterized by congenital anomalies in the foetus and newborns affecting the eyes (cataract, glaucoma), brain (microcephaly, mental retardation), ears (hearing loss) and heart defects.
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