An estimated 11 lakh children in India missed their crucial first dose of measles vaccine in 2022. It was stated by a report released by by the World Health Organization and US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Key points
- This puts India among 10 countries with the highest number of children who did not receive the first shot.
- India is also among the 37 countries that witnessed large or disruptive outbreaks, reporting 40,967 measles cases in 2022.
- Globally, immunisation against measles dropped to lowest levels since 2008 during the pandemic, leading to an 18% rise in cases and 43% increase in deaths in 2022.
- Two doses of the measles vaccine offers 97% protection for life. The protection is likely to be weaker with a single dose.
About Measles
- Measles is an acute viral respiratory illness. It is characterized by a prodrome of fever (as high as 105°F) and malaise, cough, coryza, and conjunctivitis -the three “C”s -, a pathognomonic enanthema (Koplik spots) followed by a maculopapular rash.
- Measles is caused by a single-stranded, enveloped RNA virus with 1 serotype.
- It is classified as a member of the genus Morbillivirus in the Paramyxoviridae family.
- Humans are the only natural hosts of measles virus.
- In 2015, India’s National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization recommended introduction of rubella vaccine as combined measles-rubella vaccine, as a nation-wide campaign, covering children in the age group of 9 months to less than 15 years age group.
