the goan I network
PANAJI
In its campaign, the Government of India has decided to eliminate Measles and control Rubella (Congenital Rubella Syndrome) in the country through introducing Measles Rubella (MR) Vaccine across the country. All states and union territories will have a MR vaccination campaign in phases for the next two years.
Speaking to The Goan, District Immunization Officer (State Family Welfare Bureau) Dr Rupa Naik said the campaign would be a four week one with the schools being the emphasis of week one.
“The four weeks campaign in Goa will start from February 8 and we hope to cover more than three lakh children between the age group of 9 months to 15 years across through more than 2000 vaccination sites. In the first week, children will be vaccinated in schools. Non-school-going children will be vaccinated in the following 2-3 weeks at fixed outreach sessions in villages and urban areas. Those that missed out during the first three weeks will be covered in the last week,” she said.
Vaccination booths will continue functioning throughout the campaign at all Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, Urban Health Centres and District Hospitals of state.
Every year, Goa sees a total of over 37 cases of measles but most go under reported, said Dr Naik. The rates affecting the rest of the country, however, are severely high. Across the country, measles causes death in 36 percent of children. Rubella, also called German measles, especially CRS, has been known to cause defects like deafness, blindness and heart problems in babies.
The MR vaccine will be introduced in routine immunization.
MR Vaccine will replace both first (given at 9 months of age) and second dose of measles (given at 16-24 months of age) vaccine currently administered in the Routine Immunization program. The Measles Rubella campaign dose is given to all children, both previously vaccinated and unvaccinated, who belong to the
age group from 9 months to 15 years.
The goal of the MR campaign is to quickly enhance the population immunity to both measles and rubella in order to reduce deaths from measles and disabilities like CRS due to rubella infection in early pregnancy.
Due to MR Vaccination Campaign in the five southern states, pulse polio campaign (National Immunization Day) of year 2017 has been postponed to March 5 (Sunday).
