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- India had set a target to eliminate measles and rubella (MR) by 2023.
Background
- India had missed the earlier deadline of 2015 and 2020.
- In 2019, India adopted the goal of measles and rubella elimination by 2023.
Measles and Rubella
- About:
- Measles virus is one of the world’s most contagious human viruses.
- It kills more than 1,00,000 children every year globally.
- Measles has a high fatality rate.
- According to the World Health Organization (WHO), rubella is a leading vaccine-preventable cause of birth defects.
- Rubella infection in a pregnant woman has an impact on the foetus, resulting in birth defects.
- Symptoms:
- In both diseases, the symptoms are a rash and fever.
- Prevention:
- Both measles and rubella can be prevented by just two doses of a safe and effective vaccine.
India’s Efforts to Achieve Target
- During 2010–2013, India conducted a phased measles catch-up immunisation for children aged 9 months–10 years in 14 States, vaccinating approximately 119 million children.
- Mission Indradhanush was launched in 2014 to ramp up vaccinating the unvaccinated population.
- During 2017–2021, India adopted a national strategic plan for measles and rubella elimination, and introduced rubella-containing vaccine (RCV) into the routine immunisation programme.
- India launched a nationwide measles-rubella supplementary immunisation activity (SIA) catch-up campaign.
Source: TH
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