India's Measles-Rubella vaccine campaign: What you need to know

New Delhi: The Health Ministry has recently launched a single vaccine for dual protection against measles and rubella as part of global effort to fight these major childhood diseases and reduce morbidity and mortality burden in the country.

The single shot Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine nation-wide drive, launched on February 5, 2017, (Sunday) targets around 41 crore children across the country - the largest ever in any campaign.

The campaign against these two diseases has been started in five States/UTs - Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Goa and Lakshadweep, where it aims to cover nearly 3.6 crore target children.

As per reports, around 64,864 children were vaccinated in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits on day two of Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign.

Here are a few important things to know about the government's Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign:

• After the completion of the campaign, Measles-Rubella vaccine will be introduced in routine immunization, replacing the currently given two doses of measles vaccine, at 9-12 months and 16-24 months of age.
• Under the campaign, all children aged between 9 months and less than 15 years will be given a single shot of MR vaccination irrespective of their previous measles/rubella vaccination status or measles/rubella disease status.
• MR vaccine will be provided free-of-cost across the states from session sites at schools as well as health facilities and outreach session sites.
• At present, measles vaccine is provided under Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), however, rubella vaccine is a new addition under the new drive.
• The campaign is expected to have a substantial effect on global measles mortality and rubella control target as India accounts for 37% of global measles deaths.

Measles is a contagious disease and spreads through coughing and sneezing of an infected person. Measles makes children vulnerable to life threatening complications such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and brain infection.

Globally, in 2015, measles killed an estimated 1, 34,200 children - mostly under-5 years. In India, it killed an estimated 49,200 children.

Rubella is a contagious, generally a mild infection. But rubella can have serious consequences if infection occurs in pregnant women, causing fetal death or known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Children with CRS may develop hearing impairments, eye and heart defects and other lifelong disabilities, including autism, diabetes mellitus and thyroid dysfunction - many of which require costly therapy, surgeries and other expensive care.