MR vaccination drive to begin on July 26

After ensuring all essential safety measures, the Department of Health and Family Welfare will launch Measles Rubella (MR) vaccination drive in Jharkhand on July 26. Jharkhand will be the 16th State in India to introduce the MR vaccine under universal immunization programme.

During a media briefing here on Monday, Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Nidhi Khare said, “Over 1.79 crore children falling in the age group 9 months to 15 years will be covered under this vaccination programme. Sensitization programmes for the resource personnel have been completed across the State. The vaccine will be given free of cost to children.”

The Principal Secretary stated that around 497 centers across the State have been set up for monitoring the condition/after effect of those children who will be given the dose of vaccination. Deputy Director, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bina Sinha said, “The vaccination programme will be rolled out on July 26 will be a five week campaign. Two weeks will be solely dedicated for covering school children while the final round will be a mop-up round. Action-plans and other measures have been elaborately explained to all those associated with the campaign.”

As many as 11 State government departments have coordinated with each other for the success of MR vaccine programme here. Besides the government departments, organizations of international repute which includes World Health Organization (WHO), United Nation Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Lions Club, Rotary Club are lending their support to the State government in the vaccination programme. Meanwhile, Ace cricketer, Saurabh Tiwari has been roped in as the brand ambassador for MR campaign.

Further, according to the reports of medical journals, around 40-45 per cent of women in the childbearing age are vulnerable to Rubella. Moreover, nearly 40,000 babies are born with birth defects every year because of Rubella infection during pregnancy in India while Measles is a leading cause of childhood deaths.

Every year in India nearly 2.7 million children get measles. Those who survive, suffer from serious complications like diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition. In India everyday, 500 children die because of Measles. Also, the medical journal report suggests that the vaccine coverage against Measles in India is only 66 per cent and even below 50 per cent in many States.