Measles is a serious infectious disease in young children, however, by accelerating vaccination and prevention measures, the rate of this infectious disease has been reduced significantly in India. According to the report of August 2023, there has been a 62% decline in measles cases in India between 2017 and 2021, that is, these cases per million population had reduced from 10.4 to 4. However, the recent report of the World Health Organization has once again raised concerns about the risks of danger in the country.

According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 11 lakh children in India have not received the first dose of measles vaccine in 2022. Due to this India has become one of the ten countries where there is the biggest gap in measles vaccination even after the pandemic.

Health officials say that due to lack of vaccination, the risk of this infectious disease may increase in India, this direction needs to be seriously considered.

Despite vaccination campaigns, fewer vaccination
The WHO report placed India among 37 countries where more than 40,967 cases were reported in 2022. The Government of India is also running a special vaccination campaign to prevent this infectious disease, but despite this, there remains a gap in India's measles vaccination coverage.

Globally, measles vaccinations dropped to their lowest level since 2008 during the pandemic, resulting in an 18% increase in cases and a 43% increase in deaths in 2022.

Vaccination saved the lives of 5.7 crore children
Globally, more than 1.3 lakh children die every year due to complications of measles, according to WHO. However, the vaccination campaign has reduced the death rate due to infection by 82%. Vaccination has saved the lives of more than 5.7 crore children in the 22 years between 2000 and 2022.

The point to be noted here is that measles-rubella vaccination is a part of routine vaccination for children in India, yet mistakes are being made in this direction.

3.3 crore children deprived of vaccination globally
According to the report, vaccination coverage had increased in the year 2022, yet there are 33 million (3.3 crore) children globally who had missed both doses or the second dose of the vaccine. In low-income countries, where the risk of death from measles remains the highest, vaccination rates remain lowest at only 66%.

WHO said in a statement, that this rate of vaccination does not indicate any recovery from the danger. There is a need to accelerate this.

What exactly is measles?
Measles is a childhood infection. It spreads very quickly and can be serious and even fatal for small children. Measles causes a red, blotchy rash on the skin that usually first appears on the face and behind the ears, then spreads down to the chest and back and finally to the legs. Along with this, problems like fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat, and conjunctivitis have also been seen in some children.

Vaccination is considered the most effective way to prevent this infectious disease.

(PC: Freepik)