Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 219/19

MEASLES-RUBELLA VACCINATION CAMPAIGN

India is committed to the goal of elimination and control of Rubella/Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) by 2020. To achieve this goal, Measles-Rubella (MR) campaign is being launched in the country targeting all children from 9 months to 15 years of age. The MR campaign has been conducted in Meghalaya from the 24th September, 2018 onwards and still continuing. Measles is a highly infectious disease and causes a lot of childhood morbidity and mortality among children below 5 years of age. Rubella infection, although mild, can lead to foetal death, spontaneous abortion and a set of serious birth defects known as Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS), if an unimmunized woman is infected during early pregnancy, resulting in huge health burden to the family and the society. Both these diseases can be prevented by highly effective and safe Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine. This Campaign is an important step towards reducing Measles and Rubella morbidity and mortality in the country, and also outlines the country’s efforts to its commitment to eliminate Measles and control Rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome by 2020.

In the East Khasi Hills District, 2,25,979 children have been safely immunized till date out of 2,85,418 children. 59,493 children are still remaining unvaccinated which may pose a health threat and public health scare as the virus transmission can only be stopped if all the target children between the age group of 9 months – 15 years of age are vaccinated. Therefore, it is important to ensure that all these children get the MR vaccination during this campaign in order to build up immunity in the community for both Measles and Rubella by immunizing the target children with a single dose of MR vaccine and also provides a second opportunity for children left out in Routine Immunization at the age of 9 months (1st dose) and 16-24 months (2nd dose). Hence with regard to this, the Deputy Commissioner-Cum-Chairman, District Health Society, NHM, East Khasi Hills, Shillong appeals to all the parents who have not immunized their children to come forward and get their child vaccinated with MR vaccine at the nearest Health Centres, both Government and Private Hospital, which is given free of cost.