New Delhi, (10/1/2019): Directorate of Family Welfare, Government of Delhi with support from UNICEF, WHO and partners today organized a National Media Engagement Workshop on Measles Rubella Vaccination campaign in Delhi. The objective of the workshop was to sensitize media about the ongoing Measles Rubella Vaccination campaign in India and State’s preparedness for introducing the Measles Rubella Vaccination (MRV) campaign.
In Delhi, the campaign will be launched on 16 January 2019. The five week MR campaign aims to cover nearly 55 lakh children in the age group of 9 months to less than 15 years in eleven districts of Delhi covering all preschool children, school children (Government and Private) and out-of- school children.
The participants at the media engagement session included Dr. Pradeep Haldar, Deputy Commissioner, Immunization, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Dr. Nutan Mundeja, Director, Directorate of Family Welfare, Government of Delhi, Dr. Reena Yadav, PO-Immunization, Directorate of Family Welfare, Government of Delhi, Dr. Suresh Seth, SEPIO-Directorate of Family Welfare, Government of Delhi, Dr. Bhrigu Kapuria, UNICEF, Dr.Pankaj Bhatnagar, WHO and members of National and State media from print, online and television.
India is committed to eliminate measles and control rubella/congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) by 2020. The largest ever vaccination campaign worldwide aims to cover approximately 40 crore children in the age group of 9 months to less than 15 years of age. Children will be given a single shot of Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination during the campaign. Since the launch in 2017, the MRV campaign has covered nearly 20 crore* children in 30 States and Union Territories.
Opening the workshop, Dr. Pradeep Haldar, Deputy Commissioner, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said, “Immunization is one of the most effective and cost-effective way to protect children lives and futures. The recently introduced measles-rubella vaccine, which will be provided for free in schools, during the campaign, in health facilities and at outreach session sites, is another such step to achieve our goals.”
UNICEF, LIONS Club, Rotary Club, IMA, DMA and IAP have extended their support towards MR campaign in Delhi.
Note to the Editors:
Immunization is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions that currently avert an estimated 2 to 3 million deaths every year globally. India has one of the largest immunization programme in the world, in terms of number of beneficiaries, geographical coverage and quantities of vaccine used, with nearly 26 million new born babies targeted for immunization each year. Over 9 million immunization sessions are held every year across the country.
The measles-rubella campaign marks the introduction of the rubella vaccine in India’s childhood immunization programme for the first time. Rubella, which is commonly referred to as German measles is a mild infection, but can have serious consequences if it occurs in pregnant women. India’s newest MR vaccine also protects against measles, a major killer of small children. Highly contagious, it spreads through coughing and 134,200 measles deaths globally in 2015, around 49,200 occurred in India – nearly 36 per cent. Those who survive are more vulnerable to its complications such as diarrhoea and pneumonia.
