DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

More than 50 lakh children ageing 9 months to 15 years of age were immunized against the deadly diseases of measles and rubella, within a period little over one month of the launch of special MR vaccination campaign in Punjab.

Stating this here on Thursday, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Brahm Mohindra said Punjab has started special measles and rubella vaccination campaign on May 1, 2018. As on June 6 the state has vaccinated more than 50 lakh children in schools and in outreach

program.

He said although efforts were made in the initial stage to certain anti-development forces, out of their vested interests to scuttle this campaign, but with the multipronged efforts and timely action by the department, we have been able to defeat the nefarious designs of the perpetrators and achieve the desired results.

He appreciated the untiring efforts of the field workers of health department and the support extended by education department, deputy commissioners and others paraphernalia in making the campaign a grand success.

He exhorted the parents of children who could not be vaccinated till now to get their children vaccinated in the nearest health institutions, free of cost.

Mohindra reiterated that the state government was committed to bring an end to measles deaths and reduce abnormalities due to rubella. He stated that the goal of MR campaign is to accelerate population immunity by reaching 100 per cent target children with MR vaccine that will reduce cases and deaths from measles and disabilities from Congenital Rubella Syndrome. Like polio it is now targeted to make

India measles and rubella free by 2020.

The Minister also said that Punjab has achieved another milestone by endorsing a further reduction in the maternal mortality ratio by 19 points from 141 per 100000 live births to 122 as per the latest data released by SRS. He applauded the officers and staff of the Health department for their efforts in reducing maternal deaths in state.

(editor@dailyworld.in)