Mohindra hits out at rumormongers spreading malicious propaganda against MR campaign

Strongly lashing out at the unscrupulous elements spreading misinformation against the Measles and Rubella (MR) Campaign on the social media, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Brahm Mohindra on Wednesday said that appropriate legal action be taken against such anti-social elements.

Mohindra said that instructions has been given to the cyber crime cell to identify the persons who are generating false and misleading information against the campaign, being launched by the state government from Faridkot a day before.

At the same time, he has also mocked at the “misinformation” being spread on the social media that the vaccine could cause impotency in the children while asking the rumormongers to come out with facts that how many people have become impotent after getting Measles and MMR vaccine during last so many years.

Commenting on the media reports regarding fainting of children after vaccination at some places in the state, Mohindra clarified that it was all due to anxiety as no other side effects were observed in these children. All these children were kept for observation for some time and they were discharged soon, he said.

Mohindra said that the Health Department initiated the Measles Rubella Vaccination campaign on Tuesday and 2,36,043 children were vaccinated on the first day. “This is very disconcerting  that some unscrupulous and anti-social elements are trying to derail the campaign propagating false and malicious information about the vaccine,” he said.

He said that Measles vaccine was being given to children since 1985 in the national immunization programme while Rubella was part of MMR vaccine given in the private sector at a huge cost since more than 20 years. “Now, when the Government has decided to introduce Rubella into the national programme, the false propaganda has been started. The same vaccine is being used all over the world with all success,” he added.

Mohindra, at the same time, appealed the public, especially the parents, to come forward and get their children vaccinated without any fear.