MEASLES-RUBELLA VACCINATION CAMPAIGN

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.