Faced with eight suspected measles outbreaks this year despite undertaking a massive vaccination programme in late 2018, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided that post-July, health officials will thoroughly investigate all cases of fever and rash. The civic body is also contemplating using different strategies to ensure compliance in areas that reported high refusal rates during the vaccination drive.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official from the health department said that from July onwards, every fever and rash case will be thoroughly investigated to tackle measles outbreaks. “We have decided to intensify the surveillance. We will ask doctors to report every fever and rash case to the BMC,” said the official. At present, investigations are launched only when an outbreak – five or more cases – are reported from an area. The BMC is also looking at raising awareness by targeting families since its previous school-based campaign has not been effective in some parts of the city. Dr Padmaja Keskar, the BMC’s executive health officer, said parents must realise the importance of vaccinating their children against these preventable diseases. “Wherever the vaccination rates are high, the cases are low,” she said.

In November 2018, the BMC began one of its biggest immunisation drives against measles and rubella, to vaccinate 26 lakh children between the ages of nine months to 15 years. As per government and the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, 95% coverage is essential to prevent outbreaks. However, vaccination rates were below 85% in E ward (Byculla, Nagpada, parts of Mumbai Central), L ward (Kurla), M East ward (Mankhurd, Govandi), G South ward (Lower Parel, Worli, Prabhadevi), G North (Mahim, Dadar), H East ward (Bandra East), F South ward (Parel, Naigaon), and P North ward (Malad West). These are the areas from which fresh cases of suspected measles have been reported. HT had reported on Tuesday that 40 children have been clinically diagnosed with measles this year and that the BMC is probing if these are outbreaks. Blood samples of some of the suspected cases have been sent to National Institute of Virology for confirmation.

Measles is a highly-infectious viral disease that is common among children under the age of five. Last year 32 confirmed measles and rubella outbreaks were reported in Mumbai. The BMC’s data shows that in 2017, six deaths were caused by suspected measles and two in 2018. “These cases were clinically diagnosed as measles,” said Dr Keskar.

First Published: Apr 24, 2019 00:27 IST