PIONEER NEWS SERVICE / Dehradun
To eliminate measles and rubella, the district Health department will officially launch the Measles-Rubella (MR) elimination drive on July 21. An initial survey for the drive, targeting children aged from zero to five years, began in the first week of July and was conducted by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs).
The chief medical officer (CMO), Dehradun, Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma said that following the Central government’s initiative to eliminate MR, the Health department has made extensive preparations for this campaign in Dehradun district. “The ASHAs started the survey to identify children aged from zero to five with a focus on those who have not received the MR1 and MR2 vaccines,” he said.
Notably, the MR vaccine is administered in two doses: the first dose (MR1) is given to infants when they are nine months old and the second dose (MR2) is given when their age is between 16 and 24 months.
Dr Sharma further informed that the Health department’s survey aims not only to gather information about MR but also to identify children who have missed other vaccinations within the specified age group. According to the survey results, 1, 42, 247 children aged from zero to five years have been identified in Dehradun district. While 1,826 children are due for the MR1 vaccine, 1,810 are due for MR2. The survey also identified 121 children who are overdue for MR1 and 119 children for MR2.
He added that a meeting with the departments and authorities concerned would be held soon to review the updated data and other decisions.
The drive will officially commence on July 21 during which the MR1 and MR2 vaccines will be administered among the children according to the survey report. This drive is expected to continue for three months.
The CMO assured that the department has a sufficient supply of MR vaccines with a total of 31,350 doses currently available. He underscored the importance of MR1 and MR2 vaccines, stating that the unvaccinated children might face serious health issues, including measles and rubella. “Their symptoms are rashes and fever and in severe cases, pneumonia and diarrhoea that may result even in death,” he added.
