About:
- Measles and Rubella are highly contagious viral diseases that are spread by contact with an infected person through coughing and sneezing.
- Although these two viral diseases are quite similar in the way they spread and in their symptoms, but they have significant differences.
Measles:
- Also known as:
- Symptoms: Infection with Measles is followed by high fever, rash that spreads over the body, cough, running nose and red watery eyes.
- Effect: It can cause permanent damage to the victim of that disease. The measles will remain for weeks in most of the cases.
- The disease is preventable through two doses of vaccine.
Rubella:
- Also known as: German Measles.
- Symptoms: Infection with Rubella is followed by rash and low fever. It may be associated with
- swelling of lymph node and joint pain. The emergence of these rashes is far less bright than that of the measles.
- Effect: Rubella causes a milder illness than measles. It is also known as three-day illness as it continues to exist for three days. But it is of particular concern because if a pregnant woman becomes infected, the virus can cause severe birth defects.
Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS):
- Rubella infection in pregnant women may have serious consequences causing miscarriages, stillbirths or severe birth defects known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).
- Children with CRS can suffer hearing impairments, cataracts, heart defects, developmental delay and many other lifelong disabilities.
Indian scenario:
- Number of cases: The latest Global Measles and Rubella Update says India had 56,399 confirmed measles cases and 1,066 confirmed rubella cases in 2018.
- Target: India, along with ten other WHO South East Asia Region member countries, have resolved to eliminate measles and control rubella/CRS by 2020.
- Measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign: To achieve the above target, union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has initiated a MR vaccination campaign under which all children’s in the age group of 9 months to less than 15 years will be given a single shot of MR vaccination.
- Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Vaccine: It is an immunization vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles). Private practitioners in India have been giving MMR Vaccine to children for many years.
