States told to vaccinate children 9 months to 5 years old in ‘vulnerable areas’
UPDATE – 11:10 PM, THURSDAY – NOVEMBER 24 22
(Photo: IANS)
Hyderabad: The State Department of Public Health may administer special doses of the Measles and Rubella-Containing Vaccine (MRCV) to children aged 9 months to 5 years in the vulnerable areas of Telangana, on the advice of the United Health Department.
In six Indian states (Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, and Maharashtra. Outbreaks occurred in predominantly unvaccinated or mediocre MRCV vaccine coverage areas .
Rapid increases in the number of measles cases and some death rates have also been observed in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.
“Consider an additional dose of measles and rubella (MRCV) vaccine for all children aged 9 months to 5 years in vulnerable areas under the ‘Outbreak Response Immunization’ (ORl) model. dose and a second dose at 16-24 months to supplement the main vaccination schedule,” the Ministry of Health advisory said.
Every year in November and March, measles is known to experience massive spikes. Therefore, aggressive fever and rash surveillance mechanisms need to be strengthened for early detection of cases.
States should conduct enumerations of all children aged 6 months to 5 years in vulnerable areas to expedite full MRCV coverage, the advisory said.
A District Immunization Task Force led by District Collectors will review the measles situation on a daily/weekly basis and plan response activities accordingly.
Measles is known to be fatal for moderately and severely malnourished children, so door-to-door search campaigns as part of case identification and management can identify these vulnerable children so they can be given nutrients and vitamins A supplement as a preventive measure.
