FIGHT AGAINST MEASLES-RUBELLA IN FULL SWING IN DISTRICT LUDHIANA

-1.90 LAKH CHILDREN VACCINATED SUCCESFULLY SO FAR-CIVIL SURGEON

-AROUND 12.55 LAKH CHILDREN TO BE VACCINATED DURING ONGOING CAMPAIGN

LUDHIANA, MAY 11, 2018: With an aim to eliminate Measles and control of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in the country, a district level vaccination campaign against Measles-Rubella is being run on full swing. Under this campaign the children aged between 9 months to less than 15 years to be vaccinated by health teams.

An estimated 12.55 lakh children will be vaccinated in Ludhiana and out of them 1.90 lakh have been vaccinated so far.

Giving a call to the people, the Dr. Parvinderpal Singh Civil Surgeon asked them to participate positively in the campaign and motivated subordinate health officials to ensure not a single child between this age group, be left.

He said that already three phases of MR vaccination Campaign have been completed in 13 states covering around 7-8 crore children with this vaccine safely while Punjab is being covered in Phase 4.

Sidhu further said that Auto-disable syringes are used for vaccination of each child. These syringes are rendered non-usable after a single use. All the vaccinators are highly skilled health workers who administer vaccinations to the children in routine immunization in large numbers regularly following the best injection and waste disposal practices.

District Immunization Officer (DIO) Dr. Jasbir Singh said that Measles is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus and an estimated nearly 49,000 children die from measles its related complications annually, making it one of the leading causes of child deaths in India. He said that measles can be prevented by immunizing children with two doses of measles vaccine, which is safe and effective.

Singh said that Rubella is also another infectious yet mild viral illness affecting both children and adults that can cause death and disabilities in the new-born if an unprotected pregnant woman gets infected with rubella virus in early pregnancy.

He further said that it also has the potential to cause abortions, stillbirths and severe birth defects known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), including deafness and blindness in the new-born child.

He stated that the Goal of MR campaign is to accelerate population immunity by reaching 100 percent target children with MR vaccine that will reduce cases and deaths from measles and disabilities from Congenital Rubella Syndrome. He said that likewise Polio, it is now targeted to make state as well as country Measles and Rubella free by 2020.

He said that during school-based campaign all children in Government, Government aided, Private, Army schools, Day Care centers and Crèches shall be vaccinated. Similarly, during the community-based campaign, all out of school children in age group of 9 months to 15 years shall be covered including children in outreach sessions and SVEEP activities.